Blast to the Past
by Erik'sTrueAngel
Summary: Story 1 of Blast series. Lois is kidnapped by Tempus and stranded in 1994. Problem is… she’s seven months pregnant. She’s going to need all the super help she can get, but how will this affect her future relationship with Clark? COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Rated: PG or K+

Genre: General/Sci-fi

Summary: Lois is kidnapped by Tempus and stranded in 1994. Problem is… she's seven months pregnant. She's going to need all the super help she can get, but how will this affect her future relationship with Clark?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of _Lois and Clark_, but if I did, Superman would be my personal pilot.

A/N: Hi! I'm so happy to finally write this _Lois and Clark _story. I had this idea for years and I wasn't sure how to approach it until I sat down and the words just started coming to me. I always thought about how Clark would react if he were to come face-to-face with a married and pregnant Lois and he didn't even know it was him she was with. Since seasons 2-4 had Tempus involved, it was only fair that season 1 got some Tempus love too. This is set between Fly Hard and Barbarians at the Planet. Reviews are greatly appreciated and welcomed as well as constructive criticism. I hope you all enjoy!!!

Blast to the Past

By: Erik'sTrueAngel

**Chapter 1**

Stirring the tomato sauce gently, Lois waited a couple seconds before turning off the stove. So far the sauce looked perfect and she was relieved she didn't burn it like the hundred times before that. Taking a spoon, she dipped it in the saucepan to sample a taste. _Perfect_. The sauce survived as did the spaghetti… Her nose suddenly scrunched up. Something was burning.

"Oh no!" Lois cried, completely forgetting the crescent rolls in the oven. Quickly grabbing a cooking glove, she opened the oven and groaned as she removed the baking tray. The ends were all blackened to a crisp. "It has to be something," she muttered, glaring at the rolls.

A soft giggle reached her ears and she turned around to look at her two-year-old son. The toddler gave her a wide, toothy grin. "Is dinner rwuined?" he innocently asked.

Lois sighed. "Not entirely."

"Aw, honey. You'll get it."

Lois sent her husband a cold look as he swooped in, picked up their squealing child, and gave her his patented charming smile. "Takes practice. That's all."

"Yeah, yeah. And I have yet to succeed after all these years. Guess there's no chance of you saving these rolls, huh?"

"Well…" Clark pulled another can from behind. "I stopped after the bank robbery."

"You sure you're not psychic? Well, go and do your thing flyboy. Me and your children are starving!"

Clark grinned and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before handing off their son in her arms. "How were the little guys today?" He proceeded to peel the container and arrange the dough at super speed.

Lois laid her hand on her bulging stomach. "I think Lara and Clark were having a contest to see who can bring Mommy to her feet."

"Aw." Clark lowered his glasses and immediately the rolls were cooking. "I guess they're just eager to meet the world."

"Well, I wish they would tone down their eagerness. These are super babies and I'm not invulnerable."

The crescent rolls were finished. Lois looked over him and frowned. "Golden brown too. Show off."

The little boy in her arms buried his face in his mother's shoulder and giggled. "Come on Jordan. Let's get you in your chair." Going through the kitchen's double doors, Lois walked to the table and secured Jordan in his booster seat. She then went ahead and lowered herself into her chair as her husband carried out their dinner.

"Everything go okay with the bank robbery?" Even after three years of marriage it still amazed Lois how a conversation about a bank robbery can be so casual. Like talking about work or paying taxes. Then again, when your husband is a superhero, even the strangest topics seem normal to discuss with your spouse.

"Yeah. Swooped in, got the bad guys and the police took them into custody. Luckily no one was hurt."

"And now?"

"A break to eat with my family." Clark grinned and scooped up the spaghetti for his plate and his son's. "Did you finish your article?"

Lois swallowed and rolled her eyes. "The museum's fundraiser was a great success. Blah blah blah. I can't believe Perry stuck me with puff pieces. There could be a really juicy scandal cooking up and I'm going to miss my shot at a Pulitzer because I'm pregnant. Jeez, it's not like I'm ready to pop them out yet."

"Yeah but Dr. Klein _did _suggest you take it easy," Clark pointed out.

Her hazel eyes narrowed at him. "Did you say something to Perry?"

"Uh…" Clark sheepishly looked away. "I might have mentioned something when he asked me about your last doctor's appointment."

"Clark!"

"I agree with Dr. Klein. Lois, we're not exactly having—" He stopped and glanced at Jordan who was watching his parents with interest. "You know. I don't want you to take any risks in chance something should happen."

"I understand. We've been monitoring the babies very closely and nothing has happened."

"Yet," he corrected. "Hon, we don't have the best track record in the world. Anything could happen."

"True." She sighed, thinking of all the past situations that they wound up in or that found them. "But I think you and Dr. Klein are being too overprotective."

"Better safe than sorry," he said.

"Yup!" Jordan chimed with a swing of his legs. Lois and Clark looked at each other and laughed.

When dinner was done, the parents cleaned up while Jordan was in the family room playing with his toys. Clark constantly kept his eye on their son with a little help from his X-ray vision. Lois rinsed off the plate and smirked. "I can't believe how big he's getting. Seems like only yesterday he was this tiny baby left on our doorstep."

"I know."

A couple years ago a baby had been placed in Clark's old crib with a note saying this child was theirs. Instantly, the young couple fell in love with the infant, but like any good reporter, they both were curious where he came from. It didn't take long for them to uncover the information, although it was both sad and happy at the same time.

Ten months back Smallville and Metropolis was invaded by the New Kryptonians. Lord Nor was hell-bent on destroying Kal-El, his rival to the throne. When Clark had left with Ching and Zara to confront Nor, the power-hungry Kryptonian and his followers landed on Earth and began a siege. Fortunately, Clark was able to defeat Nor and the Kryptonians left in peace; however, Nor's men did leave both locations in turmoil. Businesses and homes were destroyed and people's lives were changed, some for the worst. There were reports of women raped, but there was nothing the police could do. Not when the guilty were aliens and were gone for good. Superman did what he could to help the victimized women and repair all the damage the Kryptonians caused. It took time, but the world eventually overcame the invasion. People were able to return back to their normal lives.

But not all.

Jordan's mother had been a victim. She was a young girl, no older than twenty, and she was terrified. She wasn't ready to be a mother, let alone to one who was half-Kryptonian. Living in Metropolis, she knew that Lane and Kent were close friends with Superman. If anyone would know how to raise a super baby, then they were the likely candidates. So after giving birth, she wrapped her son in a blanket with the 'S' insignia, knowing the couple would recognize the importance of this child. She had been standing on the front porch, ready to ring the doorbell, but… she was scared they might turn her away. It wasn't until an elderly man in old-fashioned clothing appeared and told her he was a close friend of the Kents and would happily hand the infant to them.

There had been something about him that she felt she could trust him, despite his unusual speech. So she gave the baby to him and watched him go inside the brownstone.

The girl was close to tears when Lois and Clark found her. She thought they were there to return her son or get her arrested. Far from it in fact. Instead, they couldn't help but be grateful. They assured the girl that he would be well taken care of and loved and that Superman would be around to help him if he developed any powers. They even offered her to visit whenever she wanted. The girl declined feeling it was better this way. But it wasn't legal and with a little help from "Superman," Lois and Clark were able to have the proper documentation to make the adoption legit.

Thus, Jordan Eli Kent was officially part of the family.

His name had been Lois' idea. She thought the baby should be named after Clark's birth father since he was responsible for sending Clark into her life. And not only was Clark a miracle, but so was this child. Hence Jor-El was Jordan Eli.

And it meant that it was possible for a Kryptonian and a human to conceive.

So the chances of Lois and Clark getting pregnant were real. Dr. Klein was wrong in his analysis, which was great news for the married couple. It took some time but Lois eventually got pregnant. At last, the family they've always wanted was finally in their grasp. For once, Fate was smiling down upon them. First, Jordan. Now, the baby.

Although, it sounded like Jordan's mother had a normal pregnancy, the couple was anxious either way. Lois knew her regular doctor wouldn't do so the logical person was the only expert on Kryptonian biology: Dr. Bernard Klein.

Of course, Clark was somewhat apprehensive revealing his identity to the scientist. The last time he told his secret to was his father-in-law and the knowledge had been too much that the memory got wiped-out. If someone in the family couldn't handle it, then what were the odds that someone else would? To his surprise, Dr. Klein took it very well. If anything, the older man was almost giddy to be entrusted with the news. He had his suspicions about the Man of Steel's secret identity; first, with the scandal that Superman was having an affair with Lois Lane, and the second, when he was asking about whether or not he could have children. Dr. Klein never asked to confirm his theory since it was Superman's private business, and if the hero wanted to share his secret, then it was up to him.

Dr. Klein was also very apologetic about his miscalculations on Superman's fertility. He would apologize every time they came in for a check-up that after the millionth time, they assured him there were no hard feelings.

But there was one problem. Dr. Klein had no experience in dealing with pregnant women. It was fortunate that Carolyn, the very pretty and young scientist who thought he was a God, had experience in that field. Entrusting Clark's secret to Dr. Klein's wife did require a lot of talking between the couple before they agreed they would tell her. The Kents were anxious, which was to be expected, since they didn't know Carolyn all that well. Like her husband, she took the news in stride and was eager to help Lois and the baby.

Lois' pregnancy started off pretty normal. The morning sickness was excruciating to her, but once that faded some interesting _symptoms_ occurred. For one, Lois' body temperature rose. Mistaken it as a high fever, Clark rushed Lois to see Dr. Klein. The scientist ran some tests and told the worried couple they had nothing to worry about. The growing fetus was all right and that Lois' body was only adapting to accommodate a Kryptonian. The temperature increase was minor and barely noticeable unless someone was to hug Lois. Thankfully, it was during the winter and with warmer clothes on no one seemed to notice a difference.

Then, like her husband, her body was reacting to sunlight the way his did. It irritated the Hell out of her since she couldn't sleep in no matter what. Once the first rays touched her, Lois was wide awake and ready to go. As a result, the mild-mannered reporter took his wife's threats in good stride, appeasing her by flying out whenever her cravings were ignited. He was just too happy that the woman of his dreams was carrying his child. Everything he had always wanted, but thought he could never have, were finally within his grasp. At last, Clark Kent felt like he truly belonged.

Then when Lois entered her second trimester, she began to put on extra weight. More so than what was needed in her third month. Yet, the reason became clear soon after.

They weren't having one child, but two. Lois nearly fell over when Dr. Klein told her and Clark was speechless. _Twins?!_ They were struggling with a one-year-old, and on top of that, they had two more on the way?

Lois freaking out was an understatement. She was so worried about Jordan and messing things up that she was constantly double-guessing herself and obsessing over every little thing. It took her a while to adjust to motherhood, but Lois still had her doubts on her parenting skills. With another baby, she felt she could handle it. But twins? Her anxiety went up and Clark had a difficult time talking her down. On the other hand, Clark was thrilled once he got over his shock. Not to say Lois wasn't, she was, but he swallowed the news quite well. Clark was a natural father like Lois predicted he would be. He always spent time with his son, unless he had to save the world. The only stipulation was Clark made sure he was around for bedtime every night. He was absolutely adamant to help Lois get Jordan ready for bed and to read him a story. Even when Jordan was still an infant, Clark read to him so he would know his voice.

His only fears were his alter ego would force him to miss out on the important stuff and he would be a stranger to his children. Lois thought he was being ridiculous. She knew there would be a time when Clark wouldn't be able to be around for everything and that's his responsibility as Superman. Their children would understand, maybe not every time, but they would know that their father loves them no matter what. Clark wished he had his wife's faith, yet his self-doubts continued to bother him.

But one thing that was for certain, their love for their family. No disaster of any proportion could tear them apart. Together, they were stronger than Superman's abilities combined.

Later that night after they made love, Lois curled up in his arms and fell asleep. Clark couldn't help but smile as he listened to his wife's deep breathing. They had gone through so much just to end up like this. He didn't want to think what might have happened if they let their troubles get in the way. He thanked his lucky stars that neither one of them gave up on the other. They were a team through and through. And nothing was going to change that.

xxXXxx

"Lois, where's the 'Missing Dog Finds Family' piece?"

"I'm almost done Chief!" she yelled back, quickly typing up the end.

"Good. Now, Kent, how are the city's Council bribery charges going?"

"So far, Waters isn't fessing up, but I have a hunch he will eventually cave in once the rest of the council testifies that he tried to get other council members to go along with the sludge deal."

Perry nodded from his doorway. "Stay on it. I want to know when he cracks and if he'll resign."

"Sure thing Chief," Clark said.

"This is what I'm talking about," Lois complained once their boss was out of earshot.

"What is?"

She gave her husband a pointed look. "You got the bribing of the council and I'm stuck with family pet for five years finally finds home. This is practically an insult to the Lane name."

"Honey, like I told you, it's only temporary." He got up and began to rub her shoulders. "C'mon. I bet it has to be a nice break. You're not constantly stuck on one story, you get three times the bylines, and you're not in danger—"

"Okay, I get your point. But I miss the action and working with you…" her voice trailed off.

"Nice try, honey, but you're not coming to court with me."

"Clark!" Lois whined, batting her lashes and pouting. "Just this one time. I'll be really quiet. I won't even ask any questions or butt in or—"

He raised his brow at her. "Lois."

"Fine!" She threw her hands up. "I give. Can't blame me for trying."

Clark kissed the top of her head. "If it means anything, I miss working with you too. It's not the same with my partner by my side."

"Yeah, yeah. I bet you're really loving the fact that I'm not in harm's way too."

"A little," he confessed, sending her a bright smile. "At least I don't have to worry about you going off to God knows where's on some crazy tip."

She playfully punched his arm. "All right. I'm going to pick up Jordan and head home. Take it easy." Then in a lower voice, she whispered, "And be careful if you know who is needed."

"I will and he will," Clark promised, bending down to give her a kiss. "If you need anything, call me."

"Yup. Now go get that corrupted councilman!" Lois regretfully watched him leave, sighing. "Let's get your brother guys." In response, the twins kicked hard. She grimaced. "This is the one thing I'm not going to miss," she muttered.

Since Jordan hadn't displayed any super qualities, Lois and Clark figured it was safe to ask Perry's wife, Alice, to babysit him while they were at worked. Ever since Alice had answered Perry's personal ad, the two decided to give their relationship another go. The reconciliation worked and they remarried a year ago.

_Second chances really do work_, Lois thought, also thinking about her parents and how they were living with each other again. The prospect of another wedding between them was still too soon. But Sam and Ellen Lane were happy with the way things were and nobody wanted to jinx that.

Getting off the elevator to the parking garage, Lois whipped out her cell and dialed the Whites. "Hi Alice! Lois. I'm leaving now to get Jordan so I'll be there in a few minutes. Okay, thank you so much. Bye!"

She reached her Cherokee and was about to unlock the door when she was grabbed from behind. Then everything went dark.

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed so far! I'm going to try and get this story updated once a week on every Friday. Yesterday I was so busy and forgot to post chapter 2 but here it is! Chapter 3 will be ready for sure this coming Friday. Thank you once again and hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 2**

"…Uhhh…" Lois moaned. "My head!" She opened her eyes, wincing as the lights stung her retinas. Taking deep breaths, she slowly shook her head to wake up. _What could it be now? God, I hope Luthor's not back from the dead_.

Oddly enough, Lois wasn't tied to a chair or chained to a pipe. She was quite comfortable. Looking down, she saw she was lying on a bed. "Okay…" If this was the kidnapper's way to get her to scream for help, then forget it. She could easily take a nap right now… _Nap. No!_

"Jordan!" she whispered. "I have to get out of here." Swinging her legs around, Lois shakily stood and carefully shuffled towards the door. She couldn't hear any voices so whoever put her here wasn't there at the moment. However, not wanting to take any chances, she searched the room for some kind of weapon. "Funny… this place looks familiar." Yet, she couldn't put her finger where.

Lois found a baseball bat under the bed, which she was thankful to whoever left it there. Gripping it tightly, she opened the door and moved forward. Lois took a couple steps, and then froze as the bat fell beside her. Her eyes widened. "No… Oh no! You got to be kidding me."

It was her old apartment. Or… is? All of her furniture was where she had arranged them when she first bought it. There was her fish tank, which she knew it should be at Hyperion Avenue, along with her Kerth Awards and a couple of paintings.

Mouth opened, Lois walked around in awe as everything she owned before marrying Clark was right there. Even the stuff she knew she moved with her after. This wasn't making any sense…

Lois waddled to her bookshelf, her breathing getting short, as her collection was staring right back at her. "No. Nononononono." She shook her head, clasping her hands to her temples. "I must be dreaming. No, not a dream. Can't be a dream if my head aches. Okay… so this must be a joke. An April's Fool joke. Yeah. That must be it. A very _late_ April's Fool, but so carefully planned out… God. It looks just the way I lived here. All right, Lois. Get a grip. Let's look at this logically. You were kidnapped at the _Planet's_ garage and you were left in a place, which looks very much like your old apartment but you know it can't be because you don't live here anymore and this has to be some kind of sick torture method to make you think that this is real when you know it really can't be real because you are married and you have a son who is waiting and you're pregnant with twins…"

She spotted the calendar she kept in the kitchen. Immediately, she gravitated towards it. The month was wrong. It was May, not April. Laughing at herself, she went to change it when the calendar slipped from its holder and fell. Lois scowled. "Great. Just great."

Bending her knees and keeping her arms close to her side, she maneuvered herself to the floor to pick it up. Grabbing the island as balance, Lois lifted herself up and slapped the calendar down. h661. Frowning, she twisted it around. 1994. 1994.

An unsavory word burst out. This cannot be _1994_. It was _1999_. 99 not 94! Someone was keeping a very old year around for no reason.

"That's it. That's the only explanation. Someone purposefully kept this. It's part of the joke. Ha-ha! Very good. This was a very good joke." But Lois couldn't stop shaking (or babbling) and the humor of the situation wasn't putting her at ease. Something still didn't feel right. Creepy was more like it. And the longer she was standing in the kitchen that looked so much like her old kitchen was really freaking her out.

As quickly as she could, Lois retreated back to the bedroom. A crazy thought popped in her head at that very moment. She flung open her dresser drawers. One after the other. Then she went to her closet and began sliding hanger after hanger down. The clothes… they were _hers_.

"Oh… my… god…"

Right then she knew this wasn't a joke. The calendar wasn't wrong. It was 1994. She was five years in the past. She time-traveled. And the only people who could do that was H.G. Wells and…

"Tempus." The name in itself was an expletive.

Her kidnapper had to be Tempus. She was sure of it and for some reason he dropped her off in her old apartment in 1994. Why this year she couldn't fathom. Especially since she could easily get help from a certain man in a red cape. If he wanted to torment her, he should have left her in a different century! Or maybe she was in another alternate reality where there was no Superman. Did that mean that Tempus wanted her to create another Superman? But what about the Lois in this reality? Was she alive or was she dead?

"No. The Lois here must be alive. These are things I owned and the clothes I wore so she does exist. But where is she? Oh God, how am I going to explain myself?"

Lois paced. A million thoughts were running through her mind and spilling out of her mouth. "Of course I'm in the past. Something was due to happen to us. It's been almost three years and no crazy creatures from different dimensions, no invading aliens, no psycho clones, no jealous and insane exes from the grave, no kryptonite. I'm pregnant with twins, my toddler is probably wondering where Mommy is, and Clark doesn't even know that I'm gone… Well, so much for staying out of trouble. It literally finds me!

"But wait! Maybe Clark already knows. I bet Mr. Wells found out and he and Clark are trying to find out how to get to me. Yes! No need to worry." She rested her hand on her belly. "Don't worry kids. Daddy is coming to get us. Probably any minute now. That's right. Any minute."

That "any minute" became two hours.

Lois lay on the bed, her hands lying against her stomach as the twins moved about impatiently. "I know how you feel," she groaned. "Okay. Maybe Daddy doesn't know yet. But he'll come. Soon. I hope."

The phone on the nightstand started to go off the hook. It startled her and for a second she looked like she didn't know what to do with it. "I think it's pretty much established that this Lois isn't present," she rationalized. "It's just me. Okay. Need to sound normal."

Tentatively, she picked up the handset. "Hello?" Her normal tone came out as a squeak.

"LOIS!?! WHERE IN THE SAM HILL ARE YOU?!!?" Perry's voice thundered from the speaker.

"Perry?" she said.

"Yes, Perry White. The Editor-in-Chief of _The Daily Planet_. Your boss or soon to be former boss if you don't tell me why you're not here at work."

"Uh…" Lois glanced at the clock and smacked her forehead. "Yeah… Sorry Chief, but I—" She started coughing. "I don't feel so good, sir," she said, using a nasally voice. "I would have called earlier, but I-I woke up just now, and I know it's no excuse—"

"All right, all right," he interrupted. "Fine as long as you're going to be in tomorrow."

"I don't know Chief. I have a really nasty cold going on. I have to call the doctor. I might be out a couple days." _Please let him take it. Please let him take it._

He sighed over the line. "Okay. Make sure you get lots of rest and drink plenty of fluids. I want you back soon."

"Right. Bye." Lois hung up and pinched the bridge of her nose. What was she going to do? There was no way she could show up in the bullpen in her condition. How was she only to explain being seven months pregnant? _Oh yeah, I've been pregnant for a while now and decided to surprise you all when I'm showing. Yeah right. _

One thing for sure, she had to get out of here. And _fast_.

Her stomach was growling and she knew the twins had to be famished as well. She couldn't remember the last time she ate.

Going back into the kitchen, Lois scoured the refrigerator. A couple of take-out cartons, half empty gallon of milk, and water. "Bobby was right. How could I live like this?"

Shopping was inevitable. But she couldn't leave the apartment like this. Not when someone might recognize her. She went through her clothes, hoping that this Lois stole some of Clark's clothes. "Eureka!" Lois cried, pulling out a pair of men's sweatpants and sweatshirt. She changed into them and took an elastic hair-tie to wind her long hair into a messy bun. She found a baseball hat and to finish her disguise, Lois slipped on a pair of dark shades.

Standing back from the mirror, Lois surveyed her appearance. No one was going to recognize her. Not in public.

She was gone a little over an hour. It took her so long because she was constantly checking her back and making sure she didn't run into any neighbors. She also kept her eye out for Tempus in case he showed up unannounced. To her disappointment (a first), she didn't see him. As much as she hated the man from the future, she wished he was around so she could know what was going on. Even his ironic anecdotes would be welcoming.

Once she got back, Lois began to make herself lunch. The twins were alert and getting rambunctious. To soothe them, Lois started singing aloud. The kicks lessened, but they still protested. Whenever she couldn't settle them down, Clark usually could with his touch and soft voice.

Her heart clenched at the thought of her husband. She was missing him terribly. She kept hoping that he would arrive, but the way things were going, it didn't seem it would be anytime soon. She longed for the comfort of his arms and his gentle kiss. She longed for him to whisper in her ear that everything was going to be okay. That he would get her out of this mess.

Then her thoughts drawn to Jordan. Oh, what her little boy must be thinking! By now, Alice would have gotten worried that she didn't pick him up and she would either call Perry or Clark to find out where she was. And Clark… no doubt he would be frantically searching the city for her, thinking the worst had happened. Jordan would be crying for his parents and Lois wasn't there to soothe him.

Sniffling, Lois dropped the knife she was cutting her sandwich with. Pressing her hand against her face, she silently sobbed. She _ached_ to be with her family. This wasn't fair. Why did this always happen to them? Why couldn't they be left alone? Why?

Her appetite was gone, but she had to eat. She managed to get one half done when someone knocked on the door. _Who could it be? Maybe Tempus decided to show his face. I hope so. I would love to shove my—_ The thought went uncompleted when she peeked through the peephole.

Her breath hitched. _Clark!_

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Classes started and already I'm going insane with the workload. Plus, I have my student teaching application to fill out, which is going to consume my time, but no worries. The story will be updated once a week. Thank you to everyone for reviewing! Your comments make my day!

**Chapter 3**

As quickly as her joy came, the quicker it evaporated. For it wasn't _her_ Clark.

On first glance, it looked like him. But it was his glasses that spoke differently. These were a wider frame, while her husband's was smaller. And this Clark's hair was a little longer and wavier.

Her heart dropped. This wasn't the Man of Steel she had in mind.

Another swift knock broke her reverie as Clark called her name. "Lois? A-are you home?"

Her hand rested on the doorknob. Should she let him in? Maybe she should pretend she wasn't home. _The man has X-ray vision Lois. He'll know you're here no matter what._ Sighing, she twisted it opened.

Clark nervously shifted his weight. "Hi Lois. The Chief said you were sick and I thought I would drop this homemade chicken noodle soup off. My mom's recipe. Can I come in?"

"Erm… sure." She opened the door wider so he could slip in. "Thank you Clark. But you really didn't have to."

"I know but what are partners for?" he smiled.

Wrapping her arms around her chest, she gave him a tiny smile. "Right. I'll take that. Thanks again and I'll talk to you later!"

Lois tried to usher him out, but Clark stepped away, his brow arched quizzically. "Lois? Is everything all right?"

"Yes. Everything is all right. Why wouldn't it be all right? I just don't want you to catch whatever I have."

And at that moment, she got a good kick in the stomach.

Clenching her teeth, Lois hissed as she pressed her stomach, her knees buckling. In an instant, Clark was right there to catch her. She didn't notice his face suddenly paling as he helped her over to her couch.

"Ah," she mumbled. "Thanks Clark."

"Yeah, sure, Lois." His voice sounded weird.

_He knows_. Her eyes closed as she willed herself to take a deep breath. _Nothing has happened yet. You don't know if Clark or Mr. Wells is working on a way to find you. And you are going to need help. You know you can't do this alone as much as you don't want to admit it. But he's Clark and he can help. Plus, you can't hide the fact you're expecting from him either. _

"Um, Clark, do you want to sit?" she offered. He looked at her other sofa, and then shook his head.

"No… I'm good standing."

_Guess I have to make the first move_. "You can stop the act. I know you know."

"What? I don't know what you're talking about."

"_Clark_," Lois let out a frustrated groan. "I'm pregnant. I know you felt it."

Well, there was no use denying it. "But how?"

She smirked. "C'mon Clark. You lived on a farm. Surely, you know about the facts of life."

He glared at her. "I know that Lois. But when did this happen? Who's the father? How long are you? Why didn't you tell me?"

She held up her hands. "Whoa, whoa. Too many questions. I guess the first thing I should tell you I've been pregnant for seven months now, and no, I haven't been keeping it a secret. I know this is going to sound strange, but listen to me. I'm from the future."

Clark paused to give her a look and then laughed bitterly. "The future? That's the best you can come up with?"

"It's true!" she exclaimed. "Think about it. I didn't look like this—" She lifted the sweatshirt to reveal her expected belly. "the other day. It takes time to get to this. And…" She pulled out the hair-tie and shook her hair loose. "My hair is longer too. It can't grow six inches overnight." Her eyes dropped to her left ring finger. Her engagement ring and wedding band were still there. "I'm married too. The Lois you know didn't have all this."

Clark was silent. "Is this supposed to be funny?"

"What? No! Clark, I'm telling the truth. Why would I make this up?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe to hide the truth because you're ashamed. It's Luthor's isn't it?"

Lois nearly choked. "Lex? No."

"The pheromone. On your date with him, you said he wasn't acting like himself and you never told me what really happened. I thought… I don't know what I thought, but Lois do you have any idea what kind of man he is?"

"Hold it!" Lois made a timeout sign with her hands. "Clark, you're assuming way too much here. Nothing happened on my dinner date with Lex. He tried to make a pass at me, but that was it. _Nothing happened_. The only reason I'm pregnant is because _my husband and I_ were trying."

He still didn't look convinced. "If that was so, and you are from the future, what's going to happen tomorrow?"

"I don't know. I don't even know what today's date is. But I do know, I can't tell you too much about the future."

"Why?"

"It's a time thing. Events could change for the worst or things won't go the way it should. But you have to trust me on this. I know what I'm talking about."

"Prove it to me." There was a glint of challenge in his dark brown eyes.

_I know you're Superman and we're married. _"I… can't," Lois admitted. "I don't want to change anything by revealing something important. Me talking to you about this could change something, but it shouldn't cause too much damage. At least, I'm hoping it doesn't."

Clark cocked his head and regarded her. "Say I believe you. Where's my Lois?"

The woman in question shrugged. "I don't know but I have a feeling she might be in my time. I was kidnapped and woke up here. Believe me; this wasn't on my To Do list."

"Kidnapped?" Clark repeated.

"Yes," Lois replied firmly. "By the most evilest person I ever have known. He's a time-traveler from a very distant future. He doesn't like me very much, but not as much as my husband."

"Why? Who's your husband?"

She bit her bottom lip. "I can't say. Only that together we make the world a better place."

"Oh." The expression on his face was unreadable, but knowing Clark as well as she did, Lois knew he was upset. Not that she could blame him. She knew how this sounded and she really wanted to tell him everything, but she could be disrupting the timeline if she did. _Damn you Tempus! _

"There's one person who could help me, but he only shows up when he has to."

"Who?"

"H.G. Wells."

"The writer? The one who died in 1946?"

"Well, he's dead some of the time," Lois answered with a humorless grin. "Clark, I know how crazy this sounds, but I could use your help."

"My help?" he was incredulous.

"Yes. You're the only one who can. You—" Her voice caught. "and Superman."

At the mention of his alter ego, Clark's face fell. He quickly masked up his disappointment, but Lois caught it all the same. She knew how that sounded too. If she was from the future and she was asking for Superman's help, then it would mean she didn't know the truth. As much as she wanted to tell him she knew, she couldn't. It pained her to do this, but she had no choice. _Hopefully not for long. I hope I'm making the right decision._

"Yes, Superman. He might be able to track down Tempus or locate Mr. Wells. As you can see, I'm not exactly in the condition to go out hunting. And like I said, I don't want to mess with the time here because of that. Please Clark. I just want to find my way home."

Inside, Clark was warring with himself. Part of him couldn't believe what she was telling him. Time-traveling? H.G. Wells? The future? It was way too science fiction for him. That doesn't exist in the real world. It was impossible. On the other hand, part of him believed her. She was obviously different looking. And as much as it killed him to know this, he would have known months ago if she was pregnant by the heartbeat. Since there was none but her own and now this Lois had three heartbeats. Hers and the babies.

He was trying to wrap his head around that. Lois was pregnant and married. The woman who scoffed at the idea of having kids and who only had eyes for Superman alone was _married_? It couldn't be. Yet, he was staring her right in the face. What changed? Was it Luthor she married? Or was it someone else? Was he even in her life? Sure, they were partners and friends, but did that mean they were only friends? Or were they more and she can't tell him? Did she know about Superman?

Clark was coming to terms that he wasn't merely attracted to his beautiful, strong-willed partner. His jealousy towards Luthor and Superman meant there was more to his infatuation. Furthermore, when Lois witnessed a murder and her life was endangered, at that moment, Clark couldn't deny that he was in love with her. And he had thought (and hoped) that the experience brought them closer together. After all, Lois turned to him, _Clark_, for help and safety, not Superman. That night probably had to have been one of the most memorable nights of his life. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her and he was already one of her closest (if not only) confidantes. Surely, she would have told him if she was pregnant. So this Lois must be telling the truth. And his Lois was elsewhere. Maybe in this Lois' time like she said. If so, he could help this Lois return home and get his Lois back. But what if she wasn't there?

He was developing a headache just thinking about all this. He sat down with his hands holding his head. This was all too much to process.

There was some movement and the next thing he knew, Lois was gently taking one of his hands in her smaller one. Gazing down at his face, she couldn't hide her affection for him.

"I know this is a lot Clark," she said quietly. "And I know how hard it is to believe all this. I was in your shoes once so I know. Right now, I need you to trust me. That's all. You don't have to believe I'm from the future, but I do need your help to get home."

His sight dropped to her stomach. That was all the proof he needed. She had a husband waiting for her. And _their children_. Whoever he is, she must really love him to want to go back so badly. Clark found that didn't help him with his feelings. How long had he fantasized that one day Lois might be his wife? And to have _his_ kids? Since she didn't say she knew he was Superman, he had to believe that he didn't have a future with her after all. Somehow, he let her slipped through his fingers and she married someone else. His stomach churned at the possibility of Luthor. There weren't that many men in Lois' life and if he had to narrow the list down…

Clark had to think that if she had been his wife missing, he would hope that any man would do what he could to help her. Right now, he was that man. And if her husband was someone like Luthor, he had no choice but to make sure she was where she belonged if she wished it. Even if he knew what kind of man Luthor really was.

"Okay," Clark said. "I'll try my best."

"Thank you!" Lois breathed, throwing her arms around his neck. "I knew I could count on you!"

The sudden intimate contact caused Clark to stiffen in shock. Her warm scent of strawberries and cream tickled his nostrils, her silky hair brushing his skin. He could feel his cheeks burning. "You can always count on me Lois."

She pulled back, her countenance full of relief. "You do come to my rescue at my direst need. Okay, now Superman. Do you think there is any possibility you could get a hold of him? Maybe even explain it to him? Right now, I'm getting really tired and I don't think I could go through another long explanation of the nitty gritty details of time-traveling."

Clark forced himself to smile. "I think I could do that."

"Great. And I really hate to ask you for another favor… but do you think you could cover for me at the _Planet_? Just until I can think of something for explaining my appearance."

He nodded. "Sure Lois."

"You're the best!" Lois clapped her hands together. "I think that's it then."

"If I may ask," Clark said. "When are you due?"

She couldn't help the huge grin from spreading across her face. "July. So three months from now. Well, two months my time. I'm planning on being long gone before they're ready to pop out."

"I'm sure me and Superman would make sure that happens."

Lois' expression softened. "I know."

"I guess I should leave. You know, try to find Superman." Clark stood. "Don't worry Lois."

"I'm not. And I wouldn't worry about your Lois either. She's probably tracking you and Superman down as we speak."

His lips twisted wryly. "I bet you're right." As he walked to the door, he turned around. "Is there anything you need? For the babie—y?"

She fought back from chuckling at his almost slipup. "I bought what I needed for now. But I'll take you up on your offer when I do."

"Okay. Feel free to call me for anything."

"Your number is always first."

He wanted to say something else, but decided against it. "Good-bye Lois."

"Bye Clark."

She waited a few minutes to make sure he was gone. "Bye Daddy."

xxXXxx

Doing his evening patrol, Clark couldn't believe Lois was pregnant. He knew he was doing the right thing in helping her, but the identity of the father was eating him alive. He didn't think that something like this would bother him so much… who was he kidding? He was jealous. This might not be _his_ Lois, but it was Lois all the same. He loved her and seeing her with another man's child was having his worst nightmare come to life. Literally.

He figured he would wait a while before having Superman make an appearance. He needed to get his emotions under controlled, otherwise trouble might arise. Couldn't have Lois suspecting why Superman was experiencing an acute case of the green-eyed monster. He had to be neutral in both guises. He knew he had to. Lois was already upset as it was and he didn't want to bring her anymore grief lest it should do something to the babies.

_BABIES_!!!

That was something he couldn't get over either. Not one. But two! Twins. Perhaps, one he could handle, but two was a different story. What was _he_ thinking? How could the other Clark stand by and let this happen? Didn't he even try to fight for her?

How he would give anything now to know for sure what his relationship with Lois was like. He didn't care that Lois said she couldn't reveal too much without the chances of ruining the future. He had to know where he stood with her. He had to know if pursuing her would be worth the heartache. He had to know if _Clark_ had a chance.

But… if she was with someone else, then does that mean he should give up? Clark tried to see if he could do that. Could he live his life, knowing that Lois would fall in love with another, by ignoring her to save his heart? As much as he imagined that, Clark couldn't see it working.

He could never ignore Lois as much as it hurt him to admit. She was everything to him. Then what? Should he tempt fate to ensure he wins her? Should he make his happiness come true when Lois could be missing out on being with her real soul mate? Could he live with himself knowing she might be miserable with him?

It was scary to think he could lose her. Of course, he constantly faced that possibility with her always dangling above the jaws of death, but this was different. At least, in those situations he could be there to save her. But when it comes to love… how could he wake each morning knowing some lucky man was waking up with her in his arms? To know what it's like to love her and be loved by her? To hold a child that is half her and half him?

That's what terrified him the most.

Clark knew he was different. He knew there was the likelihood that he may never have children. No one knew if a Kryptonian and a human were biologically compatible. But what if he was? Could she have his children?

Would she?

Clark really could use his parents' advice, but what could they say? Could he even tell them about Lois? Or would that break the rules? He didn't know. He was at a loss, especially when he needed their wisdom and support more than ever.

What was he going to do?

_Help her. Find a way to send her home. That's the right thing to do. That's what Superman would do. He would put his feelings aside and focus on doing what he does best: saving Lois. Afterwards, he would take things as they go day by day. Even when there's a chance of never having the woman he loves._

Sometimes, Clark really wished Superman would go and screw himself.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hi!!! Thank you so much for all of your reviews and comments! This chapter I tried making it a little bit longer so I hope this will tie everyone over until next week. Hope you like and don't forget to click on that review button!

**Chapter 4**

Lois hated omitting the truth from Clark, but there was nothing else she could do. If she wanted to protect the future she wanted with him, then she would have to let things progress the way they should, the way they were meant to. Even if it meant he had the knowledge that she was married and expecting twins. And there was no way she could tell him about Jordan either. Lord knows, what that might lead to.

No, leaving Clark in the dark was for the best, unless she had no choice but to tell him the truth. For now, ignorance was bliss.

_Well, partial ignorance that is._

Lois was on her way in fixing dinner. So far, Superman hadn't showed up yet and she didn't think he would so soon. That might be a little suspicious that after she talked to Clark Superman would come right away, knowing everything. She had to give Clark props for that. If she was him, then she would be busting through the window wanting to know what the Hell was going on. Especially if she found out that Clark was married.

_This is no doubt killing him_, she thought. _God, poor Clark. I bet he thinks it's not even him. But what can I do? I can't risk us. If I tell him the truth, then who's to say we will even end up together? We went through so many obstacles to get to where we were and we matured from that. If he knows ahead of time, then would that mean those obstacles would be avoided? If so, then would we be the same as a couple? _

No matter how much Lois loathed all the interruptions that she and Clark experienced, she knew they happened for a reason. They were all tests to determine if this couple would survive together. And they did. They were stronger after each one. She couldn't refuse this Lois and Clark from that. Not when it's important for them to show much they love each other and how much they want to be together.

_I need to keep that in mind. This is simply another one of those obstacles. Even though Clark and I are separated, we need to prove that a separation can't stop us from wanting to be with each other. We succeeded together as a team and we need to succeed on our own. _

It made sense. It didn't matter that Tempus was the one who put this in motion. This was a test like any other. And Lois was confident in their love that they would beat this.

She did, however, have one nagging feeling. From what she could gather, this 1994 was the very same 1994 she went through. All the past articles she kept were exactly word for word of what she had written. She remembered Mr. Wells explaining that many alternate realities and parallel universes have certain similarities to each other, but there would always be one difference that sets them apart from the other. No two worlds could be completely identical. Even when the worlds would eventually become Utopia. There would still be a difference, no matter how minor, such as a different phrase or word in a textbook. Either way, they cannot be the same.

Yet, it was the same.

Every story, every key player, every quote was the same. Even the results were the same!

Lois wasn't in a different world. She was literally in the past. _Her past_.

_If this is really five years ago for me, then why don't I remember this happening? I would have known that I've traveled to the future. And so would Clark. He would have told me what had happened. So why do we don't have any memories?_

"H.G. Wells must have erased them," she spoke aloud to the empty apartment. "Not the first time too. Then that means I do get home and Clark and I still end up marrying! So if I do tell him about the future, then there is no worry about it getting screwed up. Not if we can't remember!"

Lois then pressed her lips together. "But wait… that is a lot to erase. Before, it was only to make sure I didn't remember that Clark was Superman or that we saved him as a baby. And it wasn't foolproof since I was able to regain those memories back. If I was able to trigger those memories, then how come I didn't with this? Unless… I never said anything about the future. And Mr. Wells only blocked the time-traveling part. But, wouldn't Clark and I have known about it? After everything that we went through with Mr. Wells… he would have let us remembered… Then again, maybe it has to happen so we can remember. Or! Or he only blocked the 1994 versions of us. Yeah. That might it be so Clark and I can continue with our lives as before. And I mustn't have said anything about the future because we would have known what our futures would be. But why don't I remember time-traveling?"

She patted her belly. "Mommy and Daddy's lives are way _too _confusing. God, I hope this doesn't happen to you. I can already hear the accusations that we ruined your lives forever. To be honest, I wouldn't blame you if you end up hating us. At least it's not because of the typical teenage drama of hating your parents. We really did a number on each other, and if it gets past on to you, then holidays will really be a warzone."

Lois' musings were cut short by the soft tapping at her window. _Here it goes. _

She left the hatch unlocked, but Clark was way too much of a gentleman to assume entrance. And she _really _didn't feel like waddling over to the window to let him in so she could waddle all the way back to finish dinner. Not when during that time something could get ruined, which this would undoubtedly happen.

"It's unlocked!" she yelled.

The curtains rustled as the window opened, followed by a firm shut. _Remember. You're absolutely in love with __**him**__. He's not Clark. Have to show some things hadn't changed or he'll think there's nothing between you. Forgive me honey. I know how much you hated that I flaunted over your other identity. Just know that I love you no matter what, not the 'S' but the man. God, I need to quit babbling in my head. _

"Hi!" Lois exclaimed, a little breathless.

"Hello Lois," Clark greeted, his voice deep and noncommittal. His hero's voice. "Clark told me that you need my help."

"Yes I do. Did he also mention that I'm from…?"

"Not around here. Yes, he did," he added. "I'm sorry this happened, but rest assured, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you get to where you belong."

"I know you would," she said. "Would you like some dinner? I'm afraid it's healthy pregnant women food."

His lips tightened as he let out a short chuckle. "I'm good Lois."

"Okay. Then do you mind if I eat?"

He motioned with his hands. "Be my guest. It's important those little guys get that nutrition."

She blushed. "Yeah. As much as I love them growing in me, I can't wait until they're out so I can get back to my old habits. I plan on having a _huge _coffee binge."

_I bet_, Clark thought. "I did hear that it's all right for pregnant women to have at least one to three cups of coffee a day."

"Yeah but I didn't want to risk harming the babies with the caffeine since they're not ordi—" Lois quickly corrected herself. "Since they're twins and my husband and I were trying for a long time."

"Oh. I understand." He clasped his hands behind his back. "If you want, I could look to see how they're doing."

The familiarity of his request was getting to be too much for Lois. Clark would routinely "peek" to make sure the twins were all right. And, Lois believed, to make sure they were real and not a dream. If she wasn't careful, she could accidentally let slip they were his. Or he could see the resemblance if it was possible.

"No, no. Um, enough about the twins. I should tell you about Tempus so you know who to look for."

"Yes, uh, Clark mentioned that he was a time-traveler from the future."

Lois nodded. "He's also a very dangerous man. He will stop at nothing for world domination."

"Then why would he strand you here? How could that fit in with world domination?"

"Like I told Clark, he has a thing against me and my husband. I can only imagine what sick, twisted game he has in mind. Though to be honest, I'm not really sure why he picked this time."

"I wonder why that is? If it's not revealing too much about the future."

"Sorry Superman. I can't say."

"What can you say?"

"Only that Tempus usually has a higher purpose in mind. You need to be extra careful with him too. Being from the future he has certain advantages, in particular, with certain knowledge." Lois was hoping he'll get the hint what that means about his identity.

Instead, he thought she was referring to kryptonite. "Don't worry Lois. I'll make sure to get to him first."

She chewed on her lip. "I hope so. He's not like most criminals."

"And H.G. Wells?" he inquired.

"Mr. Wells will either show in one of two possible ages. But I wouldn't have to worry so much for searching for him. He tends to stick out like a sore thumb. Plus, he usually tries to get in contact with us first."

"Us?" Superman repeated.

"Yeah… um, you and I, we had to save the day a couple times. Clark too. Well, it was mainly you. You know with the powers. Clark and I were there for the ride. We really didn't do much."

"Oh."

Lois wisely stuffed her mouth with food. _Good one Lane. Can you be anymore obvious?_

Before anyone could say anything else, a distant look appeared on his face. He was needed.

"Go. If I'm still up, I'll tell you more about Tempus," Lois told him, almost glad for the interruption. It was getting to be a little awkward.

"All right. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me."

"Be careful."

His expression was almost wistful. "I'll see you around Lois." Then he was gone.

Sitting at her table, Lois wearily sighed. She wanted so badly to run into his arms, but doing so would only bring up questions she couldn't answer. Not to mention, it would probably make him uncomfortable. She now knew that this was _her_ Clark. It wasn't another Clark from a parallel universe. _Hers_. It was only natural for her to want to cling to him, but he wasn't quite hers yet. Just like she wasn't his either. Well, she was but the other Lois wasn't.

_This is too much. I'm already about to lose my mind._

Old habits die hard as Lois flipped on the TV to find out what called him away. No natural disasters or major conflicts were being reported on so it had to be a local situation. Turning it off, she walked around the apartment. It was so quiet that it was disconcerting. She was used to loud noises coming from her toddler that the silence only made her more homesick than she was. She wondered what was happening in her time right now.

By now, Clark would know she was missing. He probably dropped their son off with his parents so he could focus his energies on looking for her. Poor Jordan, too young to know what was going on, would be upset that his mother wasn't there. And what about her past self? Was she handling the news of being a wife and mother? Worse yet, how was she handling the fact that Clark and Superman were one in the same? She prayed that she wasn't giving him a hard time about it. Well, it was a stupid thing to ask for. She was Lois Lane for crying out loud. The past Lois was most likely ripping her husband a new one for lying to her.

_Great. Just when he thought this whole identity thing was put behind us, the past shows up and it all goes to hell. He better not take the past me to heart. We already went over this once before. He knows I forgive him and that I understand him wanting to keep it a secret. But knowing Clark… it wouldn't matter. He'll feel just as guilty. For a superhero, I sometimes think he should work on gaining a backbone. A thicker backbone. _

But if the past Lois knows about Clark, then would it be all right for her to tell the past Clark? But what if Clark didn't tell her that she was his wife? There was a chance he wouldn't say anything about their relationship. Maybe the past Lois doesn't know about Superman. Maybe Clark is pretending they were two different people to keep up appearances.

_This is bad. I don't know what's going on in my time. I don't know if the timeline is really messed up. For all I know, it could be and I'm protecting something for no reason. If so, then where is H.G. Wells? Why hasn't he shown up yet? If he knows where Clark's old apartment is, then he would certainly know where mine is. But he hasn't come. Or he did come but not here. The future. _

Lois clenched her fists to her side. "Too many 'what ifs.' Damn!"

Her head was hurting her and her feet were getting sore. Some R&R was desperately needed. She filled up the bathtub with warm water, pouring in her rose oil scents. Inhaling it deeply, Lois carefully eased herself inside. The top of her stomach was sticking out, but Lois didn't mind. She splashed the water over to avoid a chill.

She had to remind herself that everything was going to be all right. She couldn't afford to freak out too much. Not with the twins and not when she didn't have anybody around to help her if something should arise.

Lois soaked in the tub for another forty-five minutes when she decided to get out. The water sloshed around, even dripping onto the floor. Being extra careful, Lois managed to exit without problems. How embarrassing would it be for Superman to rush in to find a naked, pregnant Lois? Well, her husband wouldn't mind. The past him would have a heart attack.

Lois giggled to herself, putting her in a good mood. The sweet, innocent Clark Kent traumatized by her nakedness. On their wedding night, he couldn't stop blushing. She knew he was modest, but not _that _modest. She had teased him about it too.

"Thought you said you fantasized making love to me," she joked.

"I did but its different Lois," he tried to explain himself.

"Oh? How so?"

"You see… um… daydreaming and the real thing are completely different… it's just, uh, you don't focus too much like you would in real life and—"

She stopped him with a kiss. Sometimes it was too easy to mess with him.

The memory put a smile on her face as she went about to get ready for bed. Of course, Lois found herself in a dilemma. None of the nightgowns or pajamas was big enough for her.

"Perfect," she mumbled. She could wear the sweatshirt and sweatpants to bed, then see if Clark could pick her up some maternity clothes tomorrow. That would go over real well. Or she could sleep in the nude. Wouldn't be the first time. And the cold still doesn't bother her that much. That was a plus side to her pregnancy. Clark's body temperature was higher than a normal human being's and the Kryptonian in the twins gave their mother that too. It wasn't anything like Clark's, but during the frigid weather, Lois was pretty cozy in her own skin.

However, she opted for the sweat clothes. There could be a chance that Clark might come over or she might have to escape in a hurry. Even though, running out naked would definitely sidetrack any intruder, Lois didn't think exposing herself was for the best either.

She pulled out the covers and nestled in. "Night Lara, night Clark," Lois whispered as she ran her hands up and down her stomach. "Keep your fingers and toes cross that tomorrow will be our day of rescue."

Reaching over, she turned off the lamp and settled against the pillows. She closed her eyes and hummed to herself. Just as she was about to drift off, one of the twins budged.

Switching the lamp on, Lois threw off the comforter and stared at her belly. The kicking kept going. Thankfully, it was only one and she knew who it was thanks to Clark. Lara, the little troublemaker, loved to keep her mother up. It was only her father who could put her to sleep. Clark would lay his hand against her and whispered soothing words to her and the kicking would nod off. There was no doubt in either parent's mind that Lara was Daddy's little girl. But Daddy wasn't around to ease his daughter.

"It's okay Lara," Lois said. "I know you're probably anxious, but Mommy's here. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. We're safe. This was Mommy's old home before she lived with Daddy. It's all right."

Yet, that didn't seem to work.

Lois contemplated on whether for calling for Clark. Back home if this happened, she would and he would fly back as fast as he could to help his wife. But this wasn't home. And she was sure if she asked Superman to talk to her babies he would either think she was nuts or become suspicious. Then she would have little choice to tell him that they were his.

No. She would call if it was a last resort and she would make something up as to why Lara would respond to him. Clearing her throat, Lois deepened her voice as best as she could to imitate her husband. That seemed to do the trick as Lara stopped her kicking.

Grinning, Lois laid back down. She would have to remember that next time.

TBC…


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I think I should make Saturdays my weekly updates. Lol, I keep forgetting Fridays. Thanks to everyone who has been reading! I'm glad you're really enjoying this. For those of you who were wondering about the past Lois and future Clark have no fear! I actually have a sequel in the making right now with their story. This one is only going to have the future Lois and past Clark. Enjoy and please don't forget to review!!

A/A/N: I tried uploading this last night but the website was being funky so that's why the chapter is up today. :)

**Chapter 5**

Like Lois, Clark had been grateful for the cry for help. He hadn't been composed enough like he thought he was. How he managed to stay in character for that period of time was a miracle.

It was a mugging and he got there in the nick of time. After flying the thief to the police station, he received another call for help. This time it was a house fire. Clark was able to get the family of five out, plus the family pet, while the fire department arrived. Then he was needed over in Oklahoma to stop a tornado.

By the time Clark was able to fly back to Metropolis, he was too exhausted to talk to Lois. But it didn't stop him from flying over to check on her. She was sleeping, yet there were traces of tears on her face.

Completely immersed in his own misery, Clark forgot what this was doing to her. How could he be so selfish? She had to be hurting more than he was. Even if this wasn't the first time, it was taking its toll on Lois. Not only did she have to be concerned about herself and what she said, but the twins too. They were far away from home. Maybe not in city, but it might as well be.

He was being immature. He had to get over his petty jealousies and just accept the reality of it. Lois was married and pregnant. It may not be with him, but at the moment, she needed him to be there for her. The present was what mattered. She was counting on him and he didn't want to fail her.

Despite his resolution, sleep wasn't coming easy for him. But it wasn't his self-misery that kept him awake. It was his worry for Lois. Both Loises. He knew his Lois was one tough customer and she was probably diving in the possibilities to get back home. Currently, this Lois has other concerns.

He trained his super-hearing to check her and the state of the twins. All three heartbeats were calm and soft like a lullaby. He even focused on her breathing, allowing the short and deep breaths to ease the tension in his body.

For the rest of the night, Clark listened over Lois. When his services were needed, he continued to train one ear at her apartment. He also flew by to double-check that she was all right, needing to actually see for himself. It was a first for him to keep this constant vigil over Lois. But this was a different situation.

He did briefly wonder if his future self had done the same too. He probably did. This was Lois after all. He knew he would love her forever and he would always watch over her. Married or not. He would always be her protector.

When dawn approached, Clark was grateful for his Kryptonian blood. His body was automatically being recharged thanks to the yellow sun. Had he been a normal man, he would have a difficult time concentrating at work. As it were, he didn't need that much or hardly any sleep. Using his super-speed, Clark got showered and dressed. He wanted to see Lois before he had to go into work. Maybe they could work up a decent excuse for her absence.

Clark made one more stop before heading to her apartment. Food. Lois wasn't a morning person and he found that bringing her breakfast (and coffee) usually appeased the monster that lurked within her.

Whistling to himself, Clark entered the lobby and went up the stairs to the fifth floor. Arriving at 501, he gave the door a couple good knocks. He heard cursing and bit his lips from smiling. That hadn't changed much.

He could hear her going through the locks until finally the door opened and her messy dark head greeted him.

"Morning Lois. I brought bagels and donuts."

She blinked, and without a word, turned around to let him in. Her arms lifted over head as she stretched out, trying to get the kinks out of her neck. Clark quickly set the bag on the coffee table and reached over to massage her shoulders. Her back stiffened then soon relaxed as she allowed his fingers to loosen the knots in her muscles. Lois had to bite back the moan that was erupting to come out and let out a cough instead.

"Thank you Clark," she said, moving away from his warm presence. Her cheeks were already rushing with color that she covered her one side with her hand so he wouldn't see how he was affecting her.

Her heart-rate did speed up, but it went back to normal when she wandered to the table where food awaited her. "The twins and I are thankful."

Clark laughed as he took a cream-filled donut for himself. "Your welcome. How'd you sleep?"

"Fine, except for the few times when the kids were restless. But other than that, slept like a baby."

He nodded. "Did you talk to Superman?"

Lois bit her cheek to keep from smiling. "Yeah I did. Thanks for that too."

"No problem." He bit into his donut.

"I didn't get a chance to tell him what Tempus looks like, but it probably wouldn't hurt if you knew too. Just in case you spot him first before Superman does."

"Fair enough. Um, Lois?"

"Yes?" She swallowed a mouthful of her bagel.

"About…" _About what? Your life, your kids? _"About work. What should we tell others?"

Lois thought about it. "Well, it's a long shot, but I was thinking that this would be an undercover thing."

"Like what?"

"Mistreatment of pregnant women. The advantages of being pregnant. Single pregnant women and how it affects their lives. Take your pick."

"You're not actually thinking about going in today are you?"

"No. Not today, I mean. I don't actually have any clothes that fit to keep a professional look. All I have are these sweats and the clothes I arrived here in. Good thing these sweats are yours or I'll be stretching out Lois' clothes and I know I wouldn't be too happy about that."

"Wait, they're mine?" Clark ran his eyes over them. "No wonder they looked familiar! When did you… or she steal them?"

"Not steal, _borrowed_," she clarified. "And… uh, it was the first time I spent the night at your apartment. When I thought Trevino was going to kill me. You loaned them to me so I had something to wear and when I was changing back into my clothes the previous day I accidentally packed them in my satchel. I was meaning to return them, but they were too comfy."

Something flashed within his eyes—a mix of confusion and tenderness. "You spent more than one night at my apartment?"

"Heh," Lois sheepishly ran a hand through her hair. "Well, there were these bad guys after me, you know. I think that might be saying too much. If you want them, you can have them back. They are yours."

"No. It's okay. You can keep them." Clark's face grew flushed. Knowing that Lois was wearing _his _clothes and seeing that she looked really good in them… He shook his head to get his thoughts under controlled. This meant nothing. It was common for girls to take clothes from the guys they know, right?

_Yeah, if they're dating_, his inner voice taunted him.

He polished off the rest of his donut and cleared his throat. "So, um, do you want me to pick you up some clothes?"

"No. I thought I would do that. I can't stay cooped up in this apartment any longer and I could use the exercise."

"And what about?" Clark intentionally waved his hand over her stomach.

"Incognito, my friend," she replied. "I didn't become a world-class renowned investigative reporter for having the best fashion sense. How do you think I got all those exclusives? By blending in."

Clark smirked. "All right Lois. But if there's—"

"I'll call you. Meanwhile, it wouldn't hurt to check to see if there have been any recent robberies. Especially if the missing items are gold."

"Why?" He frowned.

"Trust me." Lois winked. She then went on to explain to Clark what Tempus looked like, his eyebrows nearly disappearing into his hair!

"So I'm looking for an egotistical psychotic giant, with a snake's tongue, and eyes that are so dark with greed and evil that it would make a child cry?"

"You forgot his demented monologues."

He didn't want to tell Lois that she also pretty much described Lex Luthor too. Sighing, "All right. I'll keep my eyes opened."

"Don't forget to tell Superman."

"I won't," he promised. "You sure you will be all right?"

"Clark," Lois said, cocking her head. "I'll be fine. Now you go or you'll be late."

Reluctantly, Clark left. With a conspiring glint in her eyes, Lois rubbed her hands together as she shuffled into the bedroom. She pulled out a half-beaten cardboard box from the closet and dropped it on the bed. Rummaging through the various sizes and colors of wigs, Lois found what she was looking for.

xxXXxx

"Man, I can't believe Lois called in sick again," Jimmy told Clark as soon as he stepped off the elevator. "All the years I've known her, never once used a sick day."

"Maybe being held hostage was too much that she's hiding out." Cat sauntered over to Clark, her lashes batting. "I guess Lois reached her breaking point for getting into dangerous situations."

Moving away from the flirtatious woman, Clark shook his head. "You got it all wrong Cat. Lois is feeling under the weather. I saw her yesterday and she has a pretty bad cold. But today she's feeling better so tomorrow she'll be here ready to out-scoop anyone."

_And give you all the shock of your lives_, he finished silently.

"Kent! In my office!" Perry shouted.

"See ya C.K," Jimmy clapped his back.

"Olsen! I want those pictures for the front page pronto! Quit socializing and get them!"

"Bye Jimmy," Clark gave the young man a comforting smile. Entering the editor's office, Clark said, "You wanted to see me, Chief?"

"Yes. First, how's Lois doing?" the older man asked.

"Good. She'll be back tomorrow with a story in mind."

"Thatta girl. I swear, nothing can slow that woman down. She could be struck down with the plague and still infiltrate the mafia or uncover some seedy deal. But I do have something I want the both of you on immediately."

"What is it?"

"I had some guy telephoning my office, an anonymous tipper of sorts, and he has information about a missing woman. I think it's a hoax, but this guy was adamant to speak to either you or Lois. Claims it's someone you know personally. So far, I have yet to hear anything from my police contact, so it could be a wild goose chase."

"I'm on it Chief!" Clark's heart raced. _That must have been H.G. Wells. He's back with my Lois and this Lois can go back home. _As eager as he was to have things returned back to normal, Clark was also dejected that this Lois would be leaving. He couldn't explain it, but last night while he kept watch over her, some part of him felt this incredible yearning to remain at her side. With Lois, he always wanted to be at her side to make sure she didn't get into too much trouble, but this was a different kind of yearning. Almost instinct like. He felt a sense of responsibility to make sure those twins were just as safe as their mother. Even if they weren't his, he had the paternal urges to protect them. He figured since he was in love with their mother and they were a part of her it was his natural reflex to look after anything Lois Lane.

Spinning into the Suit, Clark launched himself into the air.

xxXXxx

Holding the shopping bags close to her, Lois triumphantly walked out of clothing store. She only bought a few outfits and the necessities to keep herself together. If her stay ends up being longer, she could always go out again.

The sudden urge to use the bathroom came and Lois quickly ducked into another store to use its facilities. Good thing she went to as she had to adjust her wig and apply a little more make-up. She chose her curly blonde wig for her outing and her "tart" bright red lipstick.

Little strands of her brown hair were poking at the top so Lois pushed them back as she brought the wig closer down to cover up any loose hairs. So far, luck was on her side and no one seemed to recognize her. To the world, she was a blonde who had a little too much fun. Satisfied, Lois waltzed on out and decided to head back home.

She was hoping Clark would have called with good news, but her answering machine was blank by the time she got back. "I guess no H.G. Wells," Lois mumbled, slightly disappointed. "He better not be slowing down in his old age or older age whichever one."

Pulling the wig off, Lois shook and smooth out her long tresses and went into the bathroom to wash off some of the excess make-up. She was finishing toweling her face when a couple brisk knocks were rapped on the door.

_Must be Clark. Thought he would call me if he had any news, unless this is really really good news!_

Lois opened the door, her smile faltering as she quickly shielded herself.

"Lex!"

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Muhahahaha! That is all I'm going to say. This evil authoress has some tricks up her sleeves.

**Chapter 6**

Of all people to show up on her doorstep, Lex (for some odd reason) did not come to mind. If anything, Lois was so determined on finding a way home that she forgot that Lex Luthor was alive. And she was dating him.

Gulping, Lois forced a pleasant smile. "Lex! Hi!"

"Why Lois you look surprise. I'm sorry if I'm early, but I was quite eager to be in your company after a long morning of meetings and such." Lex grinned. "Shall we?"

"Shall we what?" Lois asked.

A frown creased his forehead. "Why, our lunch date, of course. To make up for our interruption at the _Planet _with those terrorists. We talked about it a couple days ago, remember?"

"Ohh… right! Of course! Wow, I'm so sorry Lex, but—" _I have to cancel_ hung on her tongue. But could she do that? She wracked her brain, trying to remember if she ever canceled a date with Lex Luthor. No. She kept them all, except for those terrorists, which she then remembered they made plans for lunch after Lex was feeling better from that bullet wound.

_Great. Just great. If I want to preserve the freaking timeline I have to go out with him._ The thought made her deeply ill. She knew what kind of man he was, and after everything she had witnessed and heard from Clark, she wanted nothing more than to slammed the door in his face and tell him off. But she couldn't do that without drawing his suspicions. For all she was supposed to know, Lex was a wonderful philanthropist and brilliant businessman.

Oh how she could easily see through him right now.

"I did forget but if you could give me ten minutes?"

The flash of his teeth in a pleased smile sent chills down her spine. "Certainly, my dear. Take your time. I'm all yours."

"Ye-ah," Lois said, trying not to gag. She was about to close the door, but Lex stopped it. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

_Get your slimy, murderous hands off my door! _Tightening her lips, she allowed him in.

Naturally, his reaction when he actually saw her was priceless. Eyes bugging out, mouth hanging open, Lex gazed at her with confounding bewilderment. Lois almost laughed out loud.

"How—when?" he stuttered out.

"It's for a story I'm working on. You know how dedicated I am."

"Right, right," Lex shook his head. "Then… will we be eating with you—?"

"Yes. You don't mind, do you?" Lois mentally crossed her fingers that her pregnancy would freak him out that he would cancel the date himself. No such luck.

"N-no. It's for a story after all."

"A story, yeah." _Help Superman._

xxXXxx

Lois thought for sure she wouldn't have much of an appetite with Lex nearby. On the contrary, she was famished. And she was getting a twisted sense of pleasure at watching him squirm whenever she "acted" when the babies moved. Once they really did, but the other times she faked it. She didn't think that this date would be at all enjoyable, but Lois believed this had to be her best date ever with Lex Luthor. She was looking forward in telling her husband all about it.

Unfortunately, she only made herself miss him even more.

Eventually, lunch was over and Lois made her excuses to leave. "You know, deadlines and all," she explained.

Lex nodded. "Would you like me to see you home?"

"No. I'll be fine with your driver. I'm sure you have a lot to do. Running a corporation as big as yours," she said.

"Well, then, I'll say good-bye and we will see each other soon?"

_Over my dead body. _"Yeah Lex."

Lois had to wait until she was in the safety of her lobby to finally burst out laughing. She continued laughing all the way up to her door, thinking this was worth traveling to the past to see Lex so panicked. Lois let herself in and gasped.

"Oh my God! Clark!"

xxXXxx

Clark located the address where the caller said he would meet him. Landing behind a dumpster, he spun into his civvies before strolling out, with hands in his pockets.

He was a little surprised that someone like H.G. Wells would want to meet in Suicide Slum, but if he wanted to avoid unwanted attention, then this was the place to do so. Clark dodged a stumbling homeless man and at last made it to the corner.

Looking around, Clark scanned the area for a man in nineteenth century clothing. Pushing his glasses up his nose, Clark frowned. He was positive he got the meeting spot right. Maybe he got here a little too fast? _I'll wait for a few more minutes_, he reasoned. _If Wells doesn't show, then I'll have to wait until he later contacts me again._

Five minutes past and Clark was ready to give up. If H.G. Wells was seriously concerned about time and such as Lois claimed, then he was real lousy at keeping scheduled appointments.

"Psst."

Clark turned around, startled, to find a man behind him. He had his head down low, his face covered up by a dark hood. His knees were a little bent, his shoulders drooping in an uncomfortable slouch.

Being on alert, Clark nodded. "Yes?"

"Clark Kent?"

"I am. Who are you?"

"You got my call?"

Getting frustrated, Clark answered tersely, "I did. Mr. Wells?"

The man let out a short laugh. "Herb? God no!" He pushed the hood back and smirked at the reporter. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm—"

"Tempus!" Clark exclaimed.

"Darn! Lois told you. She always likes to spoil my fun."

Without thinking, Clark grabbed Tempus's shirt and hoisted him up.

"You love to do that, don't you?" Tempus jeered.

"Where's Lois?" Clark demanded.

"Why, at her apartment. Where else will she be?"

"_My _Lois!" he barked.

"Oh! That Lois. She's all right, I think."

"You think?!" Clark's voice was getting louder.

"You might want to keep it down or you'll draw a crowd. And I doubt you want anyone seeing you holding me up Muscle Boy."

Realizing what he was doing, Clark lowered Tempus back to the ground, but he still kept gripping his shirt. "Where. Is. My. Lois?" he repeated again.

"In the future. I switched that Lois with this Lois."

"I see that. Why? And how can I bring my Lois back?"

"Tell you everything and ruin the fun? Clark, Clark." Tempus tsk tsk. "But I'll give you one clue. A time machine is needed and dear old Herb's has been disabled by yours truly. Your Lois is stranded in the future with no chances of returning, unless you can build one. Be quite difficult to do if you don't have the know-how."

"You got here somehow," Clark hissed. "I could find yours and use that to bring her home."

"You could do that, yes," Tempus agreed. "But I'm afraid it will be no use to you. Though you can try to find it. I'm sure Lois could provide some ideas."

This man was unlike anyone Clark had ever met. Lois wasn't kidding with all of her crazy adjectives. Tempus was the essence of pure evil. Glaring into the man from the future's cold eyes, Clark told him, "You made a big mistake. Do you have any idea who you're dealing with? Superman—"

"Ah, Superman!" Tempus cried gleefully. "The overgrown Boy Scout. Do you think I'm really worried about Superman?" The time-traveler freed himself from Clark's hold, his hand retreating behind him. "I'm not worried about _you_!"

Tempus pulled out a tiny lead box, opening the lid to reveal a glowing green crystal.

Clark's eyes widened in stunned astonishment as the first waves of pain struck him. Staggering backwards, Clark held his head as Tempus moved towards him. Doubling over, the reporter dropped to his knees, groaning.

Bending at his level, Tempus murmured, "This is only a small warning. Think about going after me and I'll make sure you will never see the light of day again Superman. So I wouldn't think about following me. There is a whole lot more of kryptonite where this came from. And…"

Lowering his face to whisper in his ears, Tempus added the final kick. The agony that ripped across Clark's features only served to make Tempus laugh even harder. Removing the kryptonite, Tempus set it close to Clark.

"I wish I could stay and chat some more, but I have things to do. Ta-ta for now!"

Clark closed his eyes, wincing, as Tempus continued laughing. Breathing hard, he fumbled for the kryptonite and enclosed his fingers around it. The searing touch burned right through him as Clark threw it in a storm drain. The effects weakened him, but Clark found the strength to change into his Suit and fly away.

He barely arrived at Lois' apartment when his altitude began to drop. It was short of a miracle that he landed on her balcony and crawled through the window. At last, Clark collapsed in the middle of the floor and fainted when he heard the door unlocking.

A half hour later, Clark woke to find himself lying on Lois' bed. His head was still achy, but it wasn't as bad when he was exposed to the green rays. Shielding his eyes, Clark drew in a deep breath. He couldn't get Tempus's words out of his mind. He didn't want to believe it was true, it was impossible, but the man from the future confirmed his worst fears.

"_You want to know the future? Lois marries Luthor in spite of everything you told her about him. Yes, you even told her about your secret identity to prevent the wedding, but she kicked you to the curb in favor of __**him**__. She couldn't bear to look at you anymore not after how you lied to her all this time. She was disgusted. You lost her. She's only using you now to get back home and can you blame her?"_

He had known that it could be Luthor, but he wanted to believe so badly that Lois would never willingly marry a criminal. If it was another man, a stranger, he could have handled the pain better. But Luthor? His enemy? Anybody but him…

And she knew too. She knew his secret. She knew he was Superman. Why didn't she tell him? To ensure a way back home. But what also hurt was that he told her and she reacted the way he hoped she wouldn't. Anger was to be expected, but to marry Luthor out of spite? Lois wouldn't do that… or would she? How badly was she hurt by his lies? Was he at fault for driving her into his enemy's arms and bed?

It couldn't be. Lois would never… but what reasons would Tempus have for lying to him? If he was lying? What personal gain was there? None that Clark could see. And since Lois was adamant in protecting what the future was Clark could only surmise that Tempus was telling the truth. And the pain that marked his heart was thousand times worse than the kryptonite's radiation.

He lost Lois. She will never be his.

"Superman?" Lois called softly.

Clark forgot that he flew to her apartment in the Suit, but he couldn't respond to her. He couldn't trust his voice at the moment.

Her feet quietly padded across the floor, and then the mattress sank with her weight. She gently dabbed a cool compress on his forehead when he suddenly seized her wrist. Lois jumped, not expecting it, and dropped the wet cloth. Moistening her lips, she whispered, "Clark?"

His moan was low and tortured. "W-w-why?" he choked out.

Brows furrowed together, Lois regarded him. "Why what?"

A pair of his sad, dark, beautiful brown eyes stared up at her. "Why didn't you tell me you knew?"

Lois bit her lip, her chin dropping. "Because I didn't know how my knowing would affect the past and future."

"Well, that's pretty much gone to hell," he muttered.

"I wanted to tell you I knew, really. This whole thing is so _hard_ for me. You have to understand what kind of pressure that puts me in."

"I can guess."

"Clark," Lois said. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But there was no other way. You think it's easy for me to remember what I cannot say or do? God, I almost slipped up half a dozen times. And I want to know what you were doing being near to kryptonite."

Clark's jaw twitched. "Whoa, wait. You're getting upset?"

"Of course I'm getting upset!" she retorted. "I know what that stuff does to you. Was it Tempus? Did you run into him?"

"Yes," he replied bitterly.

"And you stood there as he exposed you to that _poison_?" Lois was dumbfounded. "Clark! What were you thinking? He knows you're Superman! He knows your weaknesses!"

"Yeah, I noticed that!" he snapped right back. "You think I like knowing that someone like him is out on the street with my secret?"

"I don't know Clark. You certainly didn't do anything to stop him." Lois took a couple deep breaths. "Okay. It's been done. There's no way it can be fixed. We'll just have to find a way to deal. There's no reason for us to be angry."

"Us? If anyone should be angry, then it should be me!"

Lois blinked. "What is that suppose to mean?"

Clark rolled off the bed, standing on uneven feet. Lois got over to his side, but he simply pushed her hands away from him.

Stung by his unfounded rejection, Lois stared at him as he straightened to his full height and coolly gazed down at her.

"I know what the future is Lois."

Confusion touched her eyes. "If you know… then why are you acting like this?"

He stared at her as if she grew a second head. "Well, how do you expect me to act? It's unbelievable!"

Tears were beginning to cling to her lashes. "You think it's horrible?"

Shaking his head, Clark briskly laughed. "Of course I do! How could you?"

"How could I what? Clark, you're not making any sense."

"I'm not making any sense?" he balked. "You're joking, right? I never thought of you like this before, but you're a real piece of work Lois. Truly. I mean, I know you can be insensitive, self-centered, cruel, and even petty, but you take on a completely different level of vindictiveness. They should come up with a completely different word that describes what you are."

_Crack_!

It was pointless to slap him when he couldn't feel the sting of her palm. Yet, the message was loud and clear.

"_How dare you_." Lois' chest rose and fell with each short breath she took, her entire frame trembling as she locked glares with him. "Of all things, this was the least likely response I thought you would have. Of all _people_, I thought you would be _happy_."

"_Happy_? How can I be _happy_ when you married that… that…"

"What? That what Clark? So help me, if you say alien—"

"Alien?!" Clark seethed. "More along the lines of shrewdness, heartless, soulless, cunning cold-blooded killer."

"This is crazy. How can you say those things when they're not true?"

"Aren't they Lois? You know what? I can't listen to this. I can't listen to you defend him."

"Him? Clark—"

But he was gone. The force blew Lois' hair over her face, tipping her over. She was able to right herself by holding onto the bed, but she soon crumbled to the ground.

Weeping.

TBC…


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: This week has been insane. First, get a snowstorm with 5 inches and campus does not closed. Then my coordinator for my student teaching never called me for an interview and hasn't been returning my emails. Grrr… But aside from that, thank you to everyone for reading!!! Hee hee. Well, if you loved last chapter, then you are really going to love this one!

**Chapter 7**

Clark dove into his work. At both jobs.

As Superman, he diverted an overflowing river, stopped a dozen robberies, ended a police chase, caught two people falling off of buildings, and even helped clean up a ten car pile up.

As Clark Kent, he told Perry the anonymous call was a phony, punched out his assignments as they were given to him, broke and fixed the copier, busted his stapler, and nearly embedded his pen in his desk.

He was so furious he forgot to control his strength. He was so _irate _that he couldn't block Lois' sobs.

No matter what he did, he couldn't get her out of his head. She was always there, her voice echoing in his eardrums.

She had good reason to be upset. He was mad at himself for allowing his mouth to run off as it did, but he didn't feel guilty for expressing his emotions. She should know what marrying Luthor meant to him. And for her to be so indifferent was disconcerting.

Luthor was a monster. Plain and simple. And to marry him despite that? It was disturbing.

Furthermore, she was carrying his children. _Luthor's children_.

By nature, they were innocent.

Yet, the innocent can be corrupted.

How many times had Clark witnessed that already? Everyone has a price, he was once told, and they were right. Everyone _did_ have a price.

Even Lois.

He wanted to hate her. He wanted to hate her as much as he hated Luthor.

But he couldn't.

Through his crimson foggy state of mind, he recalled that she treated him with kindness. Like a friend.

Was he? Was he a friend? Did she accept him? And did _he _accept her marriage? Or was it all just an act to get him to help her?

Clark ended up clocking out early. After he ducked into an empty alley, he took to the sky. He flew without thinking until he realized he was heading in the direction of Smallville. Pausing, Clark floated as he looked towards the comfort of his hometown, then to Metropolis where his life began.

Making a quick decision, Clark rocketed to Kansas.

xxXXxx

A mother can always tell when the world has ended in her child's eye. To the rest of the world, they could hide it but a mother always sees through the lie.

Clark Kent may be Superman, but to Martha Kent he will always be her little boy.

Her and her husband, Jonathan, weren't expecting Clark to show up as he did. Occasionally, he would drop by for a visit, but generally he would announce he was coming over before landing. This time he crept in without a word and retreated into his boyhood's room. He stayed in there for several hours in complete silence.

Jonathan attempted to go in there first, but he got nothing from his son. So Martha went in. And what she saw tore at her heartstrings.

Clark was sitting on his bed, in the Suit, holding a picture frame. Upon closer look, it was a picture of him and Lois when they came to Smallville during the Corn Festival. Lois had her arm wrapped around his waist, her other hand holding a stuffed bear, gazing up as she beamed at him. Clark had his arm around her waist as well, looking like he won a million bucks. It was the first time he had been exposed to kryptonite, stripping him of his superpowers, and living as an ordinary man. He had won that bear for her by using all the strength he could muster like a regular guy. Despite the fact he could have almost been killed, it was one of the best days of his life. He was able to be himself, just Clark. Not Superman.

"I remember when that picture was taken," Martha said, seating herself next to him. "Lois seemed so relax right then. I know Smallville was a bit of a culture shock, but she adjusted quite well. She really enjoyed her time here just like you did with her."

"Yeah. Her complaining and farm jokes did dwindle somewhat, especially after the excitement with Trask," Clark sighed, lost in the memory. "And we nabbed a pretty good story."

"You two make one heck of a team. I know how you told us before about how she wasn't easy to work with, but you balanced each other out and it just seemed to work. She really likes you."

Clark snorted cynically. "She 'likes' me all right."

"What happened Clark?"

"It's nothing Mom," he said. "I just want some time away from the city that's all."

"Clark Jerome Kent, I know it's not 'nothing.' You can talk to me. You know you can tell me anything. I know it involves Lois and you're hurting so let me help you. I'm sure whatever misunderstanding you two got into will work out. It always does."

"This isn't like the other times," he admitted with a defeated shrug.

"Try me." Martha winked at him.

"It's complicated and I can't say too much," Clark warned.

"All right. Just start from the beginning."

"Okay. Well, something happened. Lois isn't herself. Well, she is but it's not her her. And there's something about her that is pretty important and she's close to it happening, but it can't here. It could mess a lot of things up if it happened here. She needs to be somewhere else and she needs my help. Er, Superman to be specific."

Martha nodded, frowning as she tried to keep up with his cryptic explanation. "Go on."

"Sounds easy. But it's very difficult. It gets worse when this guy shows up. No, it's not an ex-boyfriend or anything like that Mom. At least, I'm hoping it isn't. Anyways, this guy… he's not from around here. And he knows how to help Lois but he's not a very nice person. Way from it. He wants… I don't know what he wants, but it's nothing good and there's nothing I can do about it."

"All right. Lois is in trouble and this guy is only making matters worse, which is making it harder for Superman to do what he can."

"Exactly! And it continues to downfall from there. This guy has kryptonite—"

"Clark!" Martha gasped, worry etching her features.

"Its okay, Mom. I'm fine. But this guy told me something about Lois. Something I found hard to believe, but Lois really didn't deny it so I have no choice but to believe it's true. She's upset and I can't stop hearing her no matter what I do. As Clark and Superman."

"I'm sorry, Clark, but what do you mean this guy told you something about Lois?"

"Something terrible. Sick in fact. It's partially my fault, but she does it anyway."

"What?"

"I can't say."

"Why can't you?"

"Because it's part of her 'problem' I'm helping her with. No one can know anything about it or something bad will happen. As it is, _I _know too much now so it's already ruined, but I can't further the damage if I can avoid it."

Martha slowly shook her head. "I'm trying to see what you mean Clark. But the only thing I can't wrap my head around is this terrible thing that Lois did apparently."

"Trust me. You don't want to know," Clark muttered.

"But I do, especially if it's hurting you. Now, you know I spent some time with her, and I'm trying not to defend her, but I really cannot imagine her doing something of this magnitude that is affecting you so."

"Believe me, Ma. I didn't either but she did."

"How do you know?" His mother questioned.

He looked at her. "I confronted her Mom. She didn't say anything otherwise to prove she didn't."

"Did you give her the opportunity to tell her side?"

When Clark didn't answer, enlightenment shined in her eyes. "There you have it. Clark, I know you care deeply for Lois. I know she's one of your best friends, like you are to her. And best friends not only confide in each other, but they listen to one another. No matter how painful it may be. There are two sides to every story, and before you can form an opinion, you should hear from what the other person has to say. It maybe not be what you want to hear, but it can offer the explanation you need. Then you might be surprised to see how much you understand from their perspective."

"Somehow, I doubt I'll be able to understand her perspective."

"Clark Kent. I didn't raise you to be closed-minded. If this was the other way around, you would be wanting Lois to give you a chance to explain yourself. It's only right you treat her with the same respect you want from her. Now, quit moping in your room and fly back to Metropolis to patch things up with Lois."

Amazed, Clark stared at his mother. "How do you always know the right thing to say?"

Martha grinned, lifting her shoulders. "A combination of woman's intuition, being a mother, and common sense dear."

"Why can't the rest of the world think like you?" he wondered.

"Oh honey. It wouldn't be interesting or fun if everyone in the world thought the same as me."

"Yeah but there wouldn't be a lot of problems."

"Maybe, maybe not. There will always be problems in the world, sweetheart. No one can solve them all, not me and not even Superman."

"Yeah. But it would be nice."

Martha chuckled. "Come here." She embraced her son. "Go talk to Lois. You both will feel a lot better."

Clark hugged her back tightly. "I hope so Mom. I hope so."

xxXXxx

Everything felt like it was falling apart. Her husband was upset over the idea of being _married_ to her.

How could that be? Wasn't that what Clark always wanted? How many times have she heard him tell her how happy he was? That he finally had someone to share all his secrets with? To love him for whom he is and not what he can do?

It didn't make sense.

Lois thought Clark would have been thrilled, slaphappy, or even delirious. She assumed he would be outside doing somersaults and cartwheels in the air. Or shouting in the mountains his exultation. Anything but what transpired in her bedroom.

The anger, the coldness, the _contempt_.

Did he really feel that way? And did he feel stuck because of Jordan and the twins?

No…

Clark loved Jordan and he loved the twins. He loved being a father. Heck, he had _fears_ of being a bad father. But he wasn't. He was a wonderful, loving father and a terrific husband.

What went wrong? What changed?

Lois couldn't stop sobbing after Clark left. She felt like her heart was ripped from her chest and catapulted out the window. In the future, she and Clark had gotten into some heated arguments before. He had a temper like she did, but never did she see his reach the level it did. It was _frightening_. And his words… she couldn't get those nasty words out of her head. She never thought he could be that cruel. It was unfathomable. Not her Clark.

"_I never thought of you like this before, but you're a real piece of work Lois. Truly. I mean, I know you can be insensitive, self-centered, cruel, and even petty, but you take on a completely different level of vindictiveness. They should come up with a completely different word that describes what you are."_

How could he say that and mean them? Didn't he… love her?

_They should come up with a completely different word that describes what you are._

What was she?

Lois cried harder. This must be a nightmare of some kind. Any moment she will wake up and be at the brownstone on Hyperion Avenue with Jordan running into her room and Clark flying back from a daring rescue. He will take her in his arms and tell her that it had been a dream that Tempus never kidnapped her and he never said those horrible things to her. Because he loved her. And he loved the life that they were building together.

She waited in an abated breath, hoping that this world will fade away into the world she was familiar with. But it never came. This wasn't a nightmare. Clark really did say those words.

Lois clutched her tissue, willing herself to stop the tears. Crying wasn't going to help her. Crying wasn't going to send her home. She had to remember that as much as this pained her, this _was not_ _her Clark_. He was _her past Clark_. He wasn't the man she fell in love with yet. Even though it didn't look liked it, there was still hope for them, she had to keep that in mind. Everything wasn't going to fall in place overnight. She prayed that H.G. Wells wouldn't arrive soon. Not until she can put things right.

But how?

First things first. Look at the facts.

Now, she knew Clark was exposed to kryptonite. It couldn't have been Red K, even though that would explain his uncharacteristic behavior. He would have said something about the color. But he was weak and only Green K could do that. And since this was Tempus, the time-traveler only used green against the Man of Steel. Green only affects him physically. There were never any mental side-effects.

Unless, he was exposed to green and red, but didn't know it. It could be possible, but somehow she couldn't see Tempus doing that. He loved to torture Superman and red wasn't going to do the "fun" damage that he wanted. So it did leave only the green.

Yet, how did that explain Clark's animosity?

He was fine that morning… so it had to be during his run-in with Tempus. He didn't just expose him. He did something else.

"_I know what the future is Lois."_

If Clark really knew the future, then she couldn't see him being so negative about it. There was more to it. She gasped.

"Tempus told him a different future!"

It made perfect sense. Tempus lied to Clark. And Clark had no way of knowing whether or not it was true since he never experienced it. _Or came close to_.

That was why Clark was so angry. Tempus must have told him they weren't married and that she had married someone else. Who? Who could she have married that would cause Clark to react so callously?

She started running names off the top of her head. _It can't be Jimmy, God no! He's like my little brother. Not Dan Scardino. Clark and I haven't met him yet. Claude? God, there is no way I would be that stupid to go out with that man again. Per—no I wouldn't go that far. Who could it be--? Lex!_

Lois snapped her fingers. "That explains it! The 'shrewdness, heartless, soulless, cunning cold-blooded killer'! He wasn't referring to himself, but Lex Luthor! Oh, I could ring that man's neck for thinking I would ever consider being Lex's wife!"

_Wait, a minute. I almost did. What in the world was I thinking?! And that hasn't even happened yet! Oh no… if the past me and I switch back and Lex proposes… Clark will think for sure Tempus was telling the truth! _

"That no good, conniving, sonofabitch," Lois muttered. "You knew exactly what you were doing! What better way to destroy Superman than to dash his hopes for the future he always wanted? You took me when I'm pregnant to add the salt to the wound. Being married wasn't good enough. To make him suffer more, let him think I'm having another man's child. And not just any man, but the one man who had tried to kill him!"

"Very good Lois."

TBC…


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you to all my lovely readers!!! You guys are amazing and your comments made my very insane week. I have spring break in a couple weeks so the professors are cramming in as much as they can. At least I finally got my interview with my coordinator. :) Thank you and don't forget to review!

A/A/N: This is a really short chapter so I'll be posting another one on Monday.

**Chapter 8**

Tempus leaned against her doorway, leading from her room to the living room. His arms were interlaced across his chest, his dark beady eyes twinkling impishly.

"I knew you would figure my plan out eventually. You were always good at doing that. At first, I thought it was annoying, but right now I'm relishing it. You are lovely when you're depressed."

"Go to Hell," Lois snarled, backing away. "And how did you get in here?"

"With this." He revealed a small device, almost like a walkie talkie with a short antenna. "A fascinating and ingenious tool, if I say so myself. Pity Herb never thought about using it when he would come running to you and Mr. Tights. That time machine is too cumbersome and conspicuous, but not this. It can transport you anywhere in time, in location. Easy in and easy out for the time-traveler with a hectic schedule. And as a nifty feature, it can fit in your pocket."

He stepped forward while Lois jumped back, looking for something to protect herself with.

"Relax Lois. I'm not going to hurt you." He smirked. "I came here to talk. Like friends do."

"Talk, huh? Last time I checked, friends don't go telling the other friends' husband he isn't married to her!"

Tempus barked with laughter. "I couldn't resist. It was too easy to turn the invulnerable Superman into a sniveling broken-hearted little girl. Really. All that drama over one woman? He should be looking into acting instead of this superhero business."

"You're messing with fire, Tempus," Lois shot back. "This can ruin everyone's future! Mine, Clark's, even yours."

"See Lois…" he said. "You keep forgetting one thing. I'm the bad guy! Duh! I don't care if the future is ruined. As long as Utopia is not around, I'm fine with that!"

"Well, as _great_ as your plan is working. You're forgetting one thing too."

"Pray, enlighten me."

Lois grinned. "Me. I'll tell Clark the truth. I'll tell him that he is really my husband and the father of my children. And! To take it a step further, I'll warn him ahead of time about my engagement with Lex. There! Your plan has a fatal flaw."

Tempus nodded. "Oh very well said Lois, but I doubt you'll still get your happy ending."

The unwavering look on her face began to falter. "What?"

"You mean, after all this time, Hubby never told you what happened that day you almost wedded Luthor?"

"He said he was detained."

"Detained, yes, but did he say how he was detained?"

"I know it had been kryptonite. He didn't have his superpowers or he would have saved Lex from jumping off his penthouse."

Tempus' eyes lit up. "Excellent! You don't know. Well, I'm not going to spill the beans. I want to at least keep some element of surprise. I wouldn't be a very good villain if I shared every detail on what I'm about to do, now would I?"

Lois was about to say something snidely when Tempus looked at his watch. "Gee! Look at the time! I would love to keep bantering Lois, really, but I have an important appointment that I must keep. Do me a favor, though, would you? Tell Superman that he better keep his eye on the sky."

He clicked a button on the control, which caused his form to glimmer and disappear.

Lois took several steps forward and froze. A short spasm rippled through her. Grabbing her lower abdomen, Lois moaned. "No! Not now! Please not now!" Another contraction hit her and she screamed.

There was a crash, then a blur of red and blue.

TBC…


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Here is chapter 9 liked I promise!!! I'm sure this will tie over until Saturday. –evil grin- Can I say I really hate snow? Seriously, when will spring come? I almost got into a car accident on my way to my midtier. Thankfully, I got my car under control but it was pretty scary. My host teacher told me I looked like I saw a ghost. To anyone who has snow—be careful on the roads! Now, without further ado, here is chapter 9!

**Chapter 9**

"It was Braxton-Hicks contractions, false labor," Doctor Armstrong told the anxious man. "Mister…?"

"King. Charlie King." Clark fumbled with his glasses. "So… Lola is all right?"

"Yes. For some pregnant women this is a common symptom. Had she been in real labor the contractions would have been closer and more painful. Usually this tends to happen if the mother-to-be has gone through a tremendous amount of stress. Has anything occurred that might have triggered this?"

"Well…" Clark said guiltily. "We had a fight."

"Ah. Well, right now, I strongly suggest that your wife takes it easy or she might go into premature labor. The twins seem to be doing all right. Uh, you told the nurse she was seven months along?"

"That's correct." Clark nodded.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive." Clark frowned. "Why?"

"Well, the twins are basically at full-term. Any day now they could be born. Nothing to worry about. I'm sure her doctor miscalculated, happens all the time. So in the mean time, make sure your wife gets plenty of rest. She'll be out shortly."

Clark sank into the waiting room's chair, feeling overwhelmed. He couldn't help but feel guilty for bringing about the false labor. It didn't matter if it was common. Lois was stressed because of him and his temper. He never once thought what it might do to the babies. At least, they were healthy.

He had been flying back to Metropolis when Lois' screams reached him. In an instant, his heart dropped as he propelled himself to her apartment, crashing through the window and scooping her up.

"No local hospitals. Please," she begged as he held her close to his chest. So he did as she asked by taking her to Gotham General.

He was relieved to hear the good news, but the part about the twins being ready threw him in a loop. He could have sworn Lois said she was six months along. Maybe he misheard her? Clark generally had a photographic memory, but with the craziness of the past couple days, he wasn't quite sure anymore. He probably got the date messed up. After all, he had been in a state of shock at her condition that he forgot why he went to her apartment in the first place.

Lois was wheeled out, looking agitated and worried. Clark hopped to his feet when she became close.

"Are you feeling all right?" he asked.

"Yeah. Fine, fine. Doctor said I have to watch my stress levels, which is going to be a joy," she replied. "But other than that, we're all good."

"Good."

Once they left the hospital, Clark changed into his Suit and flew them home. The flight was silent and uneasy. Both were waiting to get back to the apartment, then talk.

He carefully landed in the living room, being mindful of the shards of glass that were lying everywhere. He set her gently on the couch and grabbed a pillow to prop up her legs. Then faster than a speeding bullet he cleaned up the mess, disposing the broken pieces properly.

Lois waited patiently, her fingers interlaced together as they rested on top of her stomach. At last, Clark emerged in a pair of jeans and a blue-plaid long-sleeved shirt. He dragged a chair from the dining room to sit in front of her so she wouldn't have to strain herself to look at him.

The seconds stretched into minutes. Finally, Lois broke the silence.

"I don't know if you know this, but when you're nervous your right eye starts to twitch and you get this deer-caught-in-the-headlights look on your face. Sometimes you even stutter, just a little. And when you're sad, your eyes become a darker shade of brown, like chocolate, and you appear like you lost your best friend in the world. And when you're really happy, your eyes illuminate with rapture and you can barely contain this huge smile on your face. When… when I told you I was pregnant, you couldn't stop smiling for days. It looked like someone stuck a hanger in your mouth and left it there. I was worried what people might say when Superman saved a person from jumping off a bridge and he had this gigantic smile. It was a tad bit disturbing.

"But I know it was one of the happiest days of your life. Mine too. When we were told we couldn't have kids… we thought what a miracle it would be if God allowed this for us. And… it was. Not only were we blessed with one baby, but two. A boy and a girl. Even Jordan was excited because he was going to be a big brother. He wouldn't stop talking about how he was going to share his teddy bear and trucks and… it was the cutest thing ever. Our lives were complete. Nothing was going to change that."

Lois wiped a tear from her eye after her little speech and looked up at Clark. He was stunned.

"That's right," Lois continued softly. "I'm your wife and these are your babies. Jordan is our adopted son. We get married in a few years from now. There were a lot of bumpy roads we faced before we did it, but it was so worth it in the end. It was always you Clark."

"I'm—we're—we—" Clark struggled for words and finally settled for, "I'm a jackass."

"Yes, you are," Lois agreed. "You jumped to some outrageous conclusions without considering the source. Tempus lied to you because he's evil. I did say he had a tongue of a snake."

"You did," Clark admitted, sheepishly looking at the ground. "God, I'm so sorry Lois. I… There is no excuse for what I did and said. I shouldn't have said those things. I didn't even give you a chance to tell your side because I was—"

"Pig headed? Hurt? Stupid?" Lois interjected with a tiny smile. "Yes and I still love you to death lunkhead. That doesn't change anything."

"Yeah but that was unforgivable. I was way out of line. I wasn't thinking straight. And then to be the cause of your false labor, I—"

"Clark, you weren't to blame for that. Well, okay, you were, but that wasn't what set it off."

"It wasn't?" he asked confused.

"Tempus showed up."

"What? He was here?!" Clark's jaw dropped. "And I was… oh god Lois. I shouldn't have left."

"Hey, you needed to blow off some steam. Rather have you outside doing that than inside. He didn't hurt me if that's what you're thinking."

"What did he want?"

"Basically, rubbing in what he did to you in my face. I figured it out before he arrived because if you had known it was you, then you wouldn't have reacted the way you did."

"No, I wouldn't."

"See? He only told you it was Lex because you wouldn't think twice of a future with me if you're thinking I was going to spend the rest of my life with him. Not if you're not going to have a chance."

"He also said you didn't take the news of me being Superman very well either."

Lois smirked. "Well, I'm not gonna lie, but I was pretty peeved that you lied to me. That's a heads-up by the way."

"Taken and noted," Clark said, grinning.

"But you should also know… Tempus wasn't completely off the chart about Lex."

His brow furrowed. "Come again?"

She exhaled. "What's the date?"

"April 28th. Why?"

"Well, in a few days from now, I'm going to go on a date with Lex." The next words she spoke slowly, "He flew me to Italy for dinner. On the way back, he will propose. Wait! I don't give an answer right away. But what follows next are some major events that makes his proposal very tempting. And, I hate myself for doing this, but you will tell me that you've been in love with me for a long time and I will turn you down. At the same time, I will also ask you to contact Superman for me, which I will later confess I'm in love with him. As Superman, you will reject me and that's when I accept Lex's offer.

"I regretted all of my decisions during that time and I wished I could have changed it, but I'm afraid that's what's going to be in store. I'm preparing you now 'cause I know how hurt you were, so please keep in mind that I've never loved Lex. I was in a bad place and I thought I knew him. He tricked me but not you."

Clark drew in a shaky breath. "O-kay. I appreciate you telling me this. At least, I know that you're not with him for long."

"The wedding never went through. I stopped it," Lois confessed. "But you need to be careful. _Extremely_ careful. My Clark didn't tell me exactly what happened only that he was near kryptonite, losing his powers completely, that he couldn't save Lex when he leapt to his death."

"His _death_?!"

"Lex's criminal behavior was uncovered for the world to see. Thanks to you, Perry, Jimmy, and Jack. Lex was so distraught that he was going to be arrested; he took the coward's way out and committed suicide. You couldn't save him because you were too weak. I don't know where you were or how long. I only know that it was Lex's fault. And when I get back home, I'm going to seriously talk to my husband about that. He was leaving something pretty big out and only Tempus knows what it is."

"Which means it would be trouble for me."

Lois nodded. "You better tell your Lois this."

"All right. I know what to expect now. I guess this Tempus isn't so bright after all since he should have known that you would be telling me this."

"That's what I thought. But he has something up his sleeve that could change the outcome of the future," Lois said. "And it's because of that one detail my husband failed to mention. I could _strangle_ him for that."

"Did Tempus say anything else?"

"Well, he does have this new device thing that allows him to travel through time. My guess is since he has that, then he either doesn't have H.G. Wells' design or he does but it's destroyed."

"He did say that if I found the time machine I wouldn't be able to operate it," Clark added. "Great. Our only chance now to switch you and Lois is to get our hands on that device."

"And that could be difficult since he can disappear at any moment," she grumbled. "We can always hold onto hope that Mr. Wells will come."

Clark shook his head. "I wouldn't count on it. Tempus said he disabled his machine."

"Even better!" Lois threw her head against the armrest. "If we could find Tempus, you would use your super-speed to grab it, but he has kryptonite and he will have it ready to disarm you. And I can't get it because I won't be able to be quick enough."

"It's a risk but I'm willing to take it," Clark told her firmly.

"I know you would." Lois lifted her head. "But I can't help this funny feeling that Tempus has the upper hand in this."

xxXXxx

"Interesting. I have to admit I am quite intrigued with this information and what you're proposing, well… I don't normally make rash decisions like this with someone with a questionable character, but I think I'm willing to make an exception Mr. Tempus."

Tempus extracted himself from the shadows. "Excellent. It's a deal then."

Lex Luthor shook the time-traveler's hand. "Lois Lane will be mine..."

"…and Superman will be dead."

TBC…


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Yay I updated on time for once! Lol, I'm glad you are all enjoying this story. I've been having fun writing it. We are getting close to the end. So before I say anything else, I'm going to exit the building just to be on the safe side.

A/A/N: So this is really weird, but I updated Chapter 9 on Monday and it went through, but for some reason just now it got deleted. I have re-posted Chapter 9 so hopefully it stays.

**Chapter 10**

Clark didn't leave the apartment that night. Not when Tempus could appear whenever he wanted to. That and the doctor's revelation that Lois could give birth pretty soon.

"That's absurd Clark. I'm not close to my due date yet."

"I'm telling you what the doctor told me. The twins are full-term."

"But… that _can't_ be," Lois said. "Dr. Klein said I was progressing at a human rate. And Jordan's _birth mother_ went the whole nine months. There is no way I jumped two months."

"I am Kryptonian Lois. My blood probably caused the babies' growth to accelerate."

"Jordan is half-Kryptonian and his mother didn't go through this…" Then she frowned. "Come to think of it. She didn't experience half of what I'm going through. Then why me and not her?"

Clark had his hands up. "Don't look at me. I don't know anything."

"_Riight_," Lois said, narrowing her eyes. "I guess I'll turn in then."

"Night Lois."

"Night Clark." She went into the bedroom as Clark remained on her couch. He wasn't planning on sleeping on the back-torturer thanks to floating. He set his glasses on the coffee table and just as he was about to rest, he heard Lois take a sharp intake of breath. Immediately, he ran into her room.

"What's wrong?!" Clark exclaimed, his body tense and ready for action.

Lois was standing by her bed in the sweats, clutching her stomach. Instantly, Clark thought she gone into labor.

Catching his face, Lois shook her head. "It's not that Clark. It's… they're moving. I tried talking to them but it won't work. Do you think you can talk to them?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. They usually listen to their father."

_Father_. "I can do that?"

Lois smiled. "Of course. C'mon. They won't bite."

Hesitantly, Clark had his hand above where Lois had hers, silently asking permission. She nodded once and he gently pressed her belly. A soft kick responded, an awestruck expression flashed through his countenance. There was life in her. Hers and his.

Lois quietly watched him as he felt the twins, going down on his knees to be at their level. He was being so tender, almost afraid, that he might break her. There was no mistake of the glowing love in his eyes that the sight brought tears to her. Clark was doing what her Clark does with his reverent touch and then he began to murmur to them, his voice low and husky. Seeing him like this only made Lois crave for her husband. Moments like this usually lead to a slow, passionate night of lovemaking. Her heart knew this was her husband, her Clark, but her head told her he wasn't ready for this. It didn't matter the timeline was royally messed up, she couldn't make love to this Clark. The time wasn't right.

The twins' moving ceased, yet Clark lingered a bit longer in his position. It was remarkable what he witnessed. What he felt. No words could do it justice for what was flowing through him. It was too _beautiful_. And to know that it was possible for him to create life with a human being… There was nothing more wonderful than this moment.

"Stay," Lois whispered.

The top of his head tilted up. "What?"

She said a little louder, "Stay Clark."

"In here?"

"Yes."

His face flushed scarlet. "Lois—"

"We're adults Clark. Besides, I know that couch is uncomfortable and I think the twins would be less restless if you were by my side. Just this one night. Please."

He couldn't deny her. That was one of his greatest weaknesses. Forget kryptonite. Lois was more lethal. And he didn't mind.

xxXXxx

In the morning, Clark woke in heaven.

In his arms, with her back to his chest, was Lois. Her long hair was spilled across the pillow, tickling his nose; her head pinning his arm. He watched as her eyelids flicker open, revealing those two gorgeous hazel orbs…

"Are you _freaking_ _kidding_ me?" Lois moaned. "I hate the sun. I hate it. If I could fly, I would go there and shoot it dead."

"Good morning Lois!" Clark chirped cheerfully.

She rolled over. "Go to hell Kent. I don't care what time I'm in, this is your fault."

"Good morning Clark," he replied back. "It's not that bad Lois."

"Easy for you to say. You're the poster child for morning people."

"Nothing wrong with that."

Her hand gesture sent him laughing.

The humor of the morning quickly faded when Lois told him she was going to the _Planet_. He knew she would, but a part of him hoped she would change her mind. Throughout breakfast, Clark tried talking her out of it, but Lois wouldn't hear of it. He pointed out how she was going to pass as her past self since her hair was a lot longer.

Regretfully, Lois opted to cut it. She had enjoyed the short do, but over time she longed to do more styles and she was limited if she kept it the way she did. That was when she began to grow her tresses out and going back to a bob didn't seem too bad, but she rather have long hair.

After breakfast, Lois gathered her hair into a ponytail and took the scissors to it. She got close to the length it was at this time with Clark's help. Yet, she mournfully stared at the pieces on the bathroom floor.

"I feel like I should bury it," she told him.

But despite the sacrifice, she insisted she was still going into work. Clark continued his persistence during the taxi ride, in the lobby, and when they got into the elevator.

"Relax Clark. Everything's going to work out. Just stick to our cover and we're golden."

"Yeah until you decide to go into labor," he muttered. "Then how will we explain that to the Chief?"

"One, I don't decide to go into labor, the twins do. Second, that's all you because I will be in too much pain to do any talking. So I would better start coming up with some excuses that aren't lame and can be passable within reason."

The doors flew opened and they emerged.

At first, no one noticed. Then one person looked up, then another, then another, and soon the stares and whispers became widespread.

"Excuse me, pardon me, sorry, excuse—oh my God!" Jimmy was zigzagging by people with a stack of papers in his hands until he saw Lois, dropping everything. "Lois! You're with babies!"

"Lois had sex!?" That was Cat.

Jimmy then glanced at Clark. "Whoa C.K..."

"Take it easy Jimmy. It's not Clark, it's no one's. I'm wearing an empathy belly for a story. Though, it's good to know what to expect from the office if I really was pregnant."

Perry stormed out of his office. "Olsen, where are those sales' sheets I've been asking—great shades of Elvis! Lois!"

"Yes. Will everyone stop saying my name?" she said.

"What in all that is holy is that?" Perry cried.

"My new story. I'm going undercover as a soon-to-be-mother to expose the difficulties that pregnant women face, not only in public, but at home and the workplace."

Perry turned to Clark. "Kent?"

"I'm backing her up, sir. You'll be surprised how pregnant women are discriminated," Clark answered. "It's a crime that goes unpunished."

"Huh." Perry finally cracked a smile. "Okay. Doesn't sound like Pulitzer Prize winning material from you Lois, but you never know. All right everyone! Back to work! This paper isn't going to get done by itself!"

Smirking, Lois arched her brow at her partner. "Told you."

"Fine. But let's avoid the labor all the same."

"Can't make any promises. So what have you been working on while I was 'sick'?"

"Being from the future, I thought you knew," he teased.

"Ha-ha. By the way, between the both of us, I still have more awards than you."

His mouth opened and she quickly interjected, "_Writing_ awards."

So far, they weren't any major big stories Clark was assigned. She wouldn't say this aloud, but Lois was relieved that they wouldn't be involved with any bad people. Excluding Tempus.

However, to keep appearances up, Lois began to put together her "pregnant article" when she stopped to find Cat Grant staring at her.

"What?" Lois demanded.

"I—you—I can't believe my own eyes," the gossip columnist said.

"It's not real," Lois told her.

"I know but now I can't get this image of you actually being pregnant out of my head. You and the father—"

The phone rang and Lois was all too grateful for the reprieve that ended that sentence. "Hello Lois Lane," she greeted. "Lex! Hi."

Lois' exchange with Cat was quite entertaining that Clark was covering his mouth to muffle his laughter. But he quickly sobered when he heard Lois talking to Lex Luthor.

"Dinner Saturday? Y-yeah, sounds lovely. I love Italian. Okay, five o'clock? That's kind of early… oh a surprise! All right. I'll see you then. Goodbye." Lois stuck out her tongue at the phone after hanging up.

"Dinner with Luthor, huh?"

Lois jumped as Clark sat at the edge of her desk. "Christ Clark!" In a lower voice, she continued. "Do something like that again and I will go into labor!"

"Sorry," he said. "You know, you probably won't be able to go if he's going to fly you there."

"I know that Clark," Lois said testily. "But I should set it up all the same."

"Why?" he asked. "Why this constant need to keep time the way it is? Events are already changed so you don't have to keep going out with Luthor."

"End it? Clark, as much as I would love to, I _can't_. What happens when I go home? The past me will be wondering why she broke things off with Lex when she clearly didn't."

"I'll tell her," he replied. "I'll explain everything."

"You're playing with fire, right?" Lois sighed. "Clark, I know you hate this. So do I but I have no choice. I told you what will happen so… what is it?"

"Jewelry store robbery," Clark answered quietly.

"Could be Tempus. Go but be careful!" Lois told him.

"I will." Hand already on the knot of his tie, Clark ran off.

Leaning back in her seat, Lois drummed her fingers over her belly. "I never get tired watching him do that."

xxXXxx

It wasn't Tempus, but Clark caught the man either way.

"Thank you Superman," an officer said as the superhero handed the crook over.

"No problem." Then his super-hearing kicked in. _"Help! Superman help!"_

"I have to go, excuse me." Clark's cape fluttered in the wind as he took off.

"_Help! Someone help! Superman!"_

He touched down at a warehouse, the cries for help growing louder. Looking around, Clark spied something on the ground. He went over and picked up a tape recorder.

It was a trap.

Before Clark could escape, a loud bang erupted through the empty building, knocking the hero to the ground in hellish agony. He was shot! He was shot with…

"A kryptonite bullet." Tempus walked from behind a tarp-covered crate, the gun propped against his shoulder. "The good guy shot down with one bullet. Kind of poetic, isn't it?"

"Ahh!" Clark groaned, his hand clutching his shoulder where the bullet entered. Blood oozed between his fingers, sending shockwaves through his body. _NO! _

"I thought you said this will be slow and painful. You only wounded him."

"Yes, Luthor," Tempus chided. "But as you can see, the kryptonite is spreading through his system enough to paralyze him. After all, we don't want him escaping from his cage now, would we?"

The time-traveler pulled the tarp away to reveal an ordinary looking cage with metal bars. But to Clark's horror, the bars soon began to glow with green.

TBC…


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: SPRING BREAK IS HERE!!!! Lol, I had to get it out. Thank you to every one of my lovely reviewers. We have a couple of chapters left and I appreciate all of your responses. Don't forget to review!

**Chapter 11**

Lois nervously chewed on her nail. Clark had been gone for almost a couple hours now and returning from a robbery never took this long. She knew he could have gotten another call for help, but he would have called her first to check to see how she was doing.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

She got up and grabbed her coat. If anything, she was hoping someone saw Superman or heard he was answering an emergency. _I hope he's saving someone because if he's not then I WILL go into labor. _

Lois stepped into the elevator and pushed for the lobby. Once the doors closed, she realized she wasn't alone.

"What are you doing here?" Incredulous, Lois spotted Lex standing in the corner.

"Well for our date," he replied smoothly. "I've decided to change things up a bit."

"Oh… well, I'm in the middle of something so we're going to have to do this later."

"I'm afraid 'later' isn't an option, my dear. And neither do you have a choice." He took a menacing step forward and yanked on her arm. "Now, we can do this the easy way or we can do it hard, but should you bring attention to yourself, I'll be thinking twice on how much I really care about this newspaper and the people in it."

She couldn't take the risk if he was bluffing, but since Lex blew the _Planet _up before she didn't dare cross him. Doing as he wished, Lois left the building cooperatively and entered his awaiting limo. After a few minutes, Lois realized they were heading to his penthouse.

"What? You couldn't buy the airport today?" Her arms were crossed over her chest as she glared.

"Why Lois, am I sensing a sudden case of hostility?"

"You have a lot of nerve dragging me away like that," Lois rejoined. "You couldn't have called?"

"I could have, but that would have been a part of the original plan. I took the initiative and gained control of my destiny."

"What are you talking about? Destiny?"

Lex shook his head. "Now, now Lois. No more of that. A mutual friend of ours has educated me on what will come between us and the not-so-happy ending. I would like to try and avoid my demise at all costs and I took the precautions necessary to make sure it doesn't happen."

A chill went down Lois' spine. "I don't understand." _My God Tempus got to him! I should have known… Oh no! What if he knows about Clark? What if he got to him? Clark!_

"Lo-is," Lex said, clicking his tongue. "I know you're intelligent than that. You see, I was planning on whisking you away on a romantic flight to propose. But an independent woman, such as yourself, would most likely need encouragement if you wanted to accept. I was already in negotiation talks with the board of _The Daily Planet_ about buying and this morning I cancelled the deal."

"You… cancelled?"

"Yes. Pity too. But… don't want to draw any suspicions that would cause Perry and Clark Kent to investigate me. Now the police will have no reason to come looking for me."

Mentally, Lois was sighing in relief. _He doesn't know. Thank you._

"Taking those steps, I had ensured that my life will go on. However, the matter relies on you. How could I ever hope to win you over? I see now that my death pushed you in the direction of that bumbling partner of yours. I'm alive so that won't be an issue, but I'm a jealous man by nature so why tempt fate?"

The vehicle rolled to a complete stop. "We're here. Ladies first."

"I think I rather stay."

"Lois." Lex pulled out a gun and held it at her.

Looking at it, she swallowed hard. "Lex… you wouldn't shoot me."

"You're right. I wouldn't. But I would shoot Clark Kent's children."

At her lethal gaze, Lex shrugged nonchalantly. "Like I said, I'm a jealous man."

xxXXxx

He was fading in and out… the buzzing in his ears was becoming intense, every nerve, every vein, every inch of his body was bursting with the burning sensation caused by the green kryptonite.

Clark squeezed his eyes tightly, jaw clenching, perspiration dripping from his face as he tried to curl himself into a ball, hoping he would disappear from the pain.

"Oh come, come," a voice taunted. "It can't be that bad, can it?"

Tempus laughed softly, soaking in the delight of seeing Superman quivering in the cage like an abused animal. "You know, I can bet I can guess what is running through that muscle-bound alien head of yours. You're thinking… Luthor doesn't capture you in this cage until he's about to marry Lois. And you're right. But why wait?"

"L…L…_Lois_," Clark hissed.

"Don't worry. She's being taken care of as we speak. It won't be long now. Soon all of this agony will be—"

Tempus' words were cut off by a flash of white light and an explosion.

xxXXxx

"You got this all wrong Lex. I'm not your Lois."

"Oh, I know that. My Lois is in your place. In your time."

"If you know that, then why keep me? I know what you are. And I won't hesitate in sharing," Lois snarled, yanking on the handcuffs that kept her bound to her chair. "You're a liar, a crook, a murderer, a kidnapper, a saboteur, a sadist… and this is unfair treatment against a pregnant woman."

"That's why. Sure, I'm going to miss the Lois who idolized me, but she won't have the passionate fury that you have."

She spat. "You're sicker than I ever thought possible. Just wait until Superman gets here—"

"Yes, Superman," Lex interrupted. "I'm afraid the Man of Steel won't be coming to your rescue anymore."

"What?" She stopped struggling.

"I stepped up my original plan to get rid of Superman. It will be quite some time before anyone finds him, and by then, he will be a corpse like any other mortal."

"Oh God…" Lois choked, tears streaming down. _Clark's dead. He isn't going to save me. The twins won't have a father… The twins! _If Clark was dead, then the twins wouldn't exist. But she was still pregnant. That meant there was still a chance Clark could make it out of this. "What did you do to him?"

"A couple of things. Tempus was kind enough to bring the kryptonite cage that I will build here and he already had a specially made bullet to make sure that he can't get out of it. I guess I underestimated the affects it has over him since he was able to escape. But I'm not going to make that mistake. And once Superman's dead, then I'll go after your partner. That way no one can take you away from me. Ever. But there still exists another problem… I can't let you leave. Not if you're going to run away and blab what I've done. Well, wouldn't be the first time I had to fake a death. Then you'll be mine forever."

It was then Lois' life flashed before her eyes. _A cage. A kryptonite cage! And if Tempus had a kryptonite bullet too… there is no way Clark can escape. Oh my God. No! It can't end like this! It can't! He has to make it through. He has to be alive. Clark!_

Lois went rigid as a wet, sticky substance began to trickle down her leg.

TBC…


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Hi everyone! Once again, thank you to everyone for the fantastic reviews! This is the last chapter but there will be an epilogue that will follow. Also, I will be posting a one-shot along with this chapter called _Ortus and Secretum_. It would have occurred within this chapter, but it was so long that I decided to make it into a separate story. I would recommend in reading it since it will give you the whole big picture and also what will happen in future stories I have in mind for this series. And don't worry! I will be posting the sequel, _Blast from the Past_, next Saturday with the epilogue. Thanks and don't forget to review!

**Chapter 12**

_It's happening! _Lois screamed in her mind. _The twins… No I can't lose them! I can't! CLARK!!!!!!_

She clamped her mouth shut as her body convulsed. Then she couldn't keep it in any longer. Lois howled as wave after wave hit her. Her babies… they were dying. Luthor was killing them. He killed her husband and now her children. She was helpless, she couldn't save them.

_Her family…_ _Gone._

Lex was at her side while she jerked against her constraints. Cursing, he unlocked the cuffs. "Lois?"

"AHHHHHH!!!!" Her teeth grinded as Lois frantically placed her hands against her stomach, wanting to feel her children, to keep them there. To her astonishment, there wasn't any blood. If she wasn't miscarrying, then… that would mean…

Throwing her head back, Lois yelled, "CLAAAARK!!!!"

A blast of cold wind rushed through the office, throwing the glass doors opened as they crashed against their frames.

Lex ducked, his hands covering his head, but he was quickly lifted in the air into the furious face of… Clark Kent.

"Get _away _from _my wife_!" Clark growled, shoving Luthor up against the wall. "It's over!"

The force knocked him out cold and it was Lois who let out another wail that brought Clark to earth. He dropped Luthor and ran to her. "Lois, it's me. I got you. Its okay, it's over. You're going home."

She laughed weakly. "About freaking time. I'm going into labor."

"But you're not due—"

They looked up as three figures were beginning to shimmer and take shape.

"Hmm…That was faster than my time machine. And less complicated too. Oh dear." H.G. Wells froze as he saw Lois on the floor with her husband grasping her hand. "That's not good."

"Lois?" It was Superman. His color was a ghastly white, his eyes hollow and shrunken with dark rings forming underneath, the right side of his uniform was torn, blood seeping through the blue as he struggled to stay on his feet with the help of both Wells and…

Her.

The past and future Loises stared at each other. The latter breaking the stillness.

"This is… awkward."

The past Lois chuckled uneasily. "What a way to meet your future self."

Panting, the future Lois gazed at the past Clark. "I… thought I told you to be careful."

Wearily, his lips curved. "I told you not go into labor."

Lois couldn't hold back the dry laugh. "Ha. I told you it wasn't my decision. Can't help it that these twins are busting at the seams to get out."

"Right!" Wells hurried over to the future couple and handed them Tempus' device. "Tempus won't be needing that anymore and it'll get you home in no time."

The future Clark took it. "Thank you again Herb." Just as he was about to push the button, his wife swatted his arm. "Wait!" Turning to their past selves, she said, "I want to wish you guys good luck."

Nodding, her husband grinned. "Yeah and be good. Lois, go easy on him… me."

"I promise," the past Lois said, gazing up at her Superman.

"Say hello to those little guys," the past Clark said. "I'm going to miss you."

The future Lois' eyes glazed over. "No goodbyes Clark. It won't be long before this happens. Then we'll all be seeing each other again soon."

He nodded, and then turned to his future self. "You… thank you. For everything."

"_Thank you _for protecting my family," the future Clark replied. Lois inhaled abruptly.

"Hon_ey_," she stressed. He nodded. Giving the standing couple one more look, he pressed the button and the future Lois and Clark disappeared.

"There! They're right where they belong," Wells exclaimed. Pressing his hands together, he gestured to the present Lois and Clark. "Now it's time for the same to be done for you."

"What do you mean?" Lois asked. "I'm back in my own time."

"Yes but the events have changed significantly and the future will not be the same. There is a reason why you two are not together until later. That and…" Wells motioned to the unconscious Luthor. "Certain people cannot manipulate their destinies. Now. We have a time machine to get back to. Come on."

TBC…


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Here's the epilogue! Thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing! I hope you all liked this story 'cause I know I had a lot of fun writing it. The sequel _Blast from the Past_ is posted too, which will tell this story from the past Lois and future Clark's point of view.

**Epilogue**

A few weeks went by since that eventful day. So much occurred within that time that Lois and Clark hadn't had chance to talk about their experiences. They had been mainly worried about the twins.

Lara Lucille Kent was born first thanks to Dr. Klein and his wife, Carolyn, but it was Clark Jonathan that set the parents on the edge. He had been breeched and his umbilical cord had been wrapped around his throat. Surgery was immediate and little Clark was saved, but there were severe consequences that followed that really put the Kents to the test.

One, Lois wasn't going to be able to have anymore children. Her body went through too much trauma that it was a mercy precaution since the doctors weren't sure if Lois could go through another delivery as she did. The reporter understood the concerns and was deeply saddened that she and Clark couldn't get pregnant again. Instantly, she blamed Tempus for interfering as he did and she wanted to go to the future where he was in custody and murder him. Clark shared similar feelings with his wife, but the scare with baby Clark had him made up his mind about having future kids. He couldn't risk Lois' life or an unborn child, especially since he wasn't sure he could forgive himself if something were to happen to one or both.

In the end, it was a very difficult decision to make, but the couple believed it was the right one. They were only too grateful and thankful to have Jordan and the twins in their lives. And that was all that mattered.

Secondly, Clark Jonathan or C.J. as they began to call him was healthy but not as healthy as his sister. For some reason, his vitals were not matching up with Lara's. The Kleins ran a series of tests and it was determined that C.J.'s Kryptonian DNA wasn't active yet. He wasn't responding to sunlight the way his sister did or his adopted brother. But when Jordan was an infant, he went through the same thing. It took over a year, but Jordan eventually began to exhibit Kryptonian qualities. Only time would tell what kind of future C.J. would have, yet his parents hoped that this would be what happened to Jordan. They weren't ready to think what would happen if C.J.'s Kryptonian blood didn't kick in.

And thirdly, this wasn't so much a life and death matter, but it almost felt like it was. There was the matter of telling their friends and family why the twins had been born premature. Clark's parents weren't a problem, obviously knowing who Clark was, but the Lanes were a completely different story. And it didn't help that Lois' father was a medical doctor himself. No lie was going to be good enough as an explanation why C.J. and Lara weren't being monitored like typical preemies and why they were born in a lab and not a hospital. Only the truth was going to suffice.

The Whites and Jimmy took the news pretty well. Perry had his suspicions from the start and Jimmy "insisted" he kind of knew too, but there were no hard feelings. If anything, they were relieved to know. After all, Lois never would have cheated on Clark with Superman, not if they were the same person.

Clark's in-laws weren't as forgiving. Well, Ellen Lane that was. Sam took the news (the second time) like he did the first. A little stunned and flabbergasted, but kept it light and said that it made sense why his daughter was affectionate to both men. Ellen hit the roof, literally and figuratively. Another secret in the family was kept from her and she couldn't believe how her own daughter didn't trust her enough to tell her who her son-in-law really was. Of course, Lois wasn't the only one in the hot water. Ellen had a few choice words for Clark too. She blamed him for not allowing Lois to tell her or for telling himself.

Calming her down was no easy task so Sam had to escort his ex-wife out of the house. Currently, Ellen was giving Lois and Clark the cold shoulder as well as Clark's parents. Lois was hurt by her mother's behavior, although she half-expected this to happen. Yet, she had hoped that with the news that she couldn't have kids and C.J.'s scare that Ellen Lane would be a little more lenient in her anger and more understanding. Fat chance. Like always, Lois' mother was the victim in the situation and it would be on her terms when she would forgive them.

The story of Lois' life.

Once the drama settled down somewhat, Lois was able to tell her husband about her little trip down memory lane.

"…and then you came busting through the window. I admit, I wasn't expecting you to do that in your civvies," Lois said, after finishing telling Clark what life in the past had been like.

"As soon as I heard you screaming I didn't think twice," Clark murmured, bringing his wife closer to his chest as they cuddled on the couch. The twins were asleep in their playpen next to them and Jordan was nestled against his mother's lap, sleeping too.

Stroking the toddler's soft dark hair, Lois grinned softly. "I was afraid I lost you too. When I felt those contractions, I thought that I was miscarrying at first. I really thought that this was the end for us. That the bad guys finally beat Superman."

"For a second there it almost looked like it," Clark said. "Fortunately, we were able to get the past me away from the kryptonite and remove the bullet. Thanks to Marcus, he took both Tempus and the cage away. But Lois. When you were gone… I was so _scared_ Lois. I had no idea what to do or how to find you. And I kept having these weird feelings and dreams about doubting us. Now I understand it was the past me that caused all that."

"You did? Oh Clark…"

"Lois, those things I—he said to you…"

"Hey. None of that, okay? I told the past Clark this and I'm telling you, I _forgive_ you. Tempus did have an insidious motive and it worked, but all that matters is the truth. And the truth is _I love you_ like _you love me_. Nothing will ever change that. But… a _kryptonite cage_? Clark, if it weren't for the kids, I would get a chunk of that kryptonite and jam it down your throat and kick your butt all the way to Gotham and back for withholding that from me. No more secrets, remember?"

"I know Lois, but I was so ashamed that Luthor tricked me and to keep me in a cage… not only was it humiliating but it further reminded me of what I am. I'm not normal. If I was, then I wouldn't have been put on display for his sick fancies. Call it my male ego but I didn't want to be less in your eyes."

"Clark, you would _never_ be less in my eyes. And as for normal, well, normal is nice once in a while and it's great during holidays and vacations, but in the large run, it's overrated. I want _super_. I want _you_."

"You always know the right things to say," Clark said, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm your wife. I'm always right if you haven't noticed," she teased. "I want you to tell me about this stuff. You don't need to protect me from that. Eventually, I find out so what's the point?"

"I promise not to keep anything from you ever again."

"Swear?" she prodded.

"I swear," Clark vowed, crossing his heart.

Triumphantly, Lois beamed. "Good. Now that I told you my side of the story… what happened with the past me and who's this Marcus?"

Clark took a deep breath. "Well, it all started when I got a call from Alice…"

**The End**


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